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Features — Page 6

Features

Rec center location

The Kernersville Board of Aldermen has instructed staff to look into the feasibility of relocating the site for a new recreation center to a corner of property recently purchased by the Town.
Last week, the Board unanimously approved spending $6 million to purchase two tracts of land totaling approximately 65 acres, all of which will become part of the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex. The property begins at the intersection of Union Cross and Shields roads and then travels eastward along Shields Road and across Beeson Road, ending at the Tredegar subdivision.
Following the vote to purchase the property, Town Manager Curtis Swisher talked about the location of the new recreation center, asking Board members for a vote on the matter.
“The recreation center that has been approved is currently proposed to go at the corner of Beeson Road and Shields Road. If the Board would like to possibly look into the feasibility of relocating that recreation center to the corner or the intersection of Union Cross and Shields Road, so basically, when you’re coming into town on Union Cross Road you will see that before you see the Kernersville sign, if you vote to give us authority to look at that, then we will start that process,” Swisher said.
Swisher said staff would then report back to the Board as far as the proposal’s feasibility.
“We don’t know what’s involved as far as grading or any of that, but if the Board would like to look at doing that, we will have our contractor check on that,” Swisher said.
Plans have been in the works to construct the new recreation center for several years, with the Kernersville Parks & Recreation Department conducting community input meetings about the project in 2019 and then Town staff presenting aldermen with the conceptual designs for the project in the fall of 2020. Last year, the Board approved an increase in the cost of the project, with the higher price directly related to rising construction costs nationally.
When originally approved, cost of construction for the new recreation center, which would be located at the corner of Shields and Beeson roads, was estimated at $12.1 million. Last September, Swisher informed the previous Board that if constructed as planned, the increased cost of the project would jump $4.7 million.
If they preferred, the Board could have chosen a scaled back version of the recreation center plan, eliminating a second floor, and adding only $2.7 million to the overall cost of construction. Instead, all five board members at the time voted to fully fund the project’s original design.
The previous Board also approved locating the new recreation center at the corner of Shields and Beeson roads. On older master plans for the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex, a new recreational facility had been situated further inside the park property, but aldermen agreed that the more visible site along Shields Road was a better location.
The same sentiment appeared to drive last week’s direction of staff to look at the possibility of moving the site of the new recreation center to the intersection of Union Cross and Shields roads, a location that several aldermen described as the gateway to Kernersville.
Alderman John Barrow made the motion for staff to look into the feasibility of relocating the recreation center, with a second from Alderman Joe Pinnix. Mayor Pro Tem Bill Apple and Aldermen J.R. Gorham and Chris Thompson voted in support.

$6 million land purchase

The Kernersville Board of Aldermen approved a major land acquisition during Tuesday night’s March 1 meeting, voting 5-0 to spend $6 million on more than 60 acres of property on Union Cross and Shields roads.
The purchase did not face any opposition from board members or the public, and although the matter sailed through approval with very little discussion, it was clear that the deal was years in the making, spanning more than just the currently seated aldermen.
The property in question is located on two separate tracts of land, both totaling approximately 65 acres. The larger of the two is located at 1223 Union Cross Road, on the southeast corner of Union Cross and Shields roads and consists of 52.45 acres, and the smaller tract is located at 0 Shields Road, at the southeast corner of Shields and Beeson roads, and consists of 13.4 acres. Both properties are owned by Andrew Coney.
Town Manager Curtis Swisher briefed aldermen on the purchase during last week’s Board meeting. He provided more details on Tuesday night.
According to Swisher, 1223 Union Cross Road is the field on the right if one is traveling east toward the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex, and is contiguous with the Town’s property there. Going south on Union Cross Road, the property is on the left and continues to the Field Crest subdivision. Swisher said 0 Shields Road is the property next to the Tredegar subdivision, across from the Ivey Redmon complex.
“As you all know, the Town has been working with the property owner over the past year-and-a-half, two years … to try to purchase this property in some way, shape or form,” Swisher said. “At one time, the Town was looking at possibly entering into a development agreement for a portion of the property, that would be on the corner of Union Cross and Shields roads to be developed, and then the Town to buy the remainder of the property. That would have yielded about 45 acres of the 65.”
Swisher continued.
“The Board changed direction in that and decided it was probably in the best interest of the Town to try and purchase all 65 acres,” Swisher said.
As he had mentioned before, Swisher noted that all of the property is contiguous to the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex, with the property next to Tredegar only split from the park site by Beeson Road.
“Beeson Road kind of splits it. Future plans would probably move, would relocate Beeson Road over and then the property would all be contiguous,” Swisher said.
Swisher described Ivey Redmon as the Town’s largest, active park, using it for hosting tournaments, adult soccer leagues, youth soccer, softball, baseball, kickball and cross country.
“To give you an idea of what we have out there, we have about 40 tournaments, baseball or softball, one or the other, we have about 40 tournaments a year,” Swisher said. “We take June or July, one of the two off, and then usually December and January and then February, and we’ll start back late February, early March.”
Swisher said those 40-50 tournaments usually draw in about 1,500 people each weekend during the season, and bring in around $4 million to the Town in economic impacts, “in terms of folks that come in and spend money on gas, spend money on food, spend money on hotel rooms.”
In addition, Swisher said the park hosts several cross-country meets each year, numbering around 35 last year.
“We have two large meets. One of them has about 6,000 people there in one day. The other one has about 10,000 people there in one day,” Swisher said, with each bringing in around $150,000 in economic boosts to the Town.
The park also has 40-to-50 teams in an adult softball league, Swisher said.
“So, it is an active park. We have plans for expansion of the park. Also, that is where we are currently proposing, on the 28 acres that we currently own up near Shields Road, the Parks and Recreation Center go there,” Swisher said of the new recreation facility to be constructed at Ivey Redmon. “So, with all that in mind, the board thought it would be a better idea to buy the land so we’re not mixing park and a large residential housing development.”
Swisher said as the property is currently zoned, a developer could build about 154 homes on the entire 65 acre tract, and on the Tredegar side, a road connection would be developed from Beeson Road into the subdivision.
“You’d have a lot of cut-through traffic,” Swisher said.
Swisher said the property will be purchased using $1 million in economic development grant funding recently presented to the Town by the state, for which officials recognized N.C. House Rep. Donny Lambeth and N.C. Senator Joyce Krawiec, both of whom represent Kernersville in the General Assembly. The Town will also fund the remainder of the purchase price using about $4 million freed up from using ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding for general government services and then the rest from the Town’s general fund or through financing.
Kernersville resident David Fitzpatrick, who sold the Town the property for the development of what was then the original Beeson Park, spoke in favor of the proposal.
“Every five years, I resurface and give a history of land, especially this land here,” Fitzpatrick said, pointing to an aerial view of the property, including his homeplace, located to the north. “Our family property has been in our family for over a hundred years. Twenty-five years ago, what is now Ivey Redmon Park was part of our family (property), as well.”
Fitzpatrick told the Board that the family sold it to the Town for $10,000 per acre.
“It shows what happens in a Town when there’s growth and prosperity and future thinking,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’ve always said every five years when I come, when somebody’s trying to buy land to try to develop that land, I’ve always said it is the crown jewel of Kernersville. It is the gateway of Kernersville.”
Fitzpatrick continued.
“There is no more attractive piece of property in this area than the land that we’re talking about today, on both sides of Shields Road,” Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick said he had the opportunity to talk with Amy Pope and Mike Stinnett, who own the property on the other side of Shields Road, and both gave their “endorsement and blessings” to the opportunity.
“It is a good opportunity. My mom always taught us to be good stewards of our land,” Fitzpatrick said. “We did not approach the Town 25 years ago to sell our land. The Town did, and actually, it was a big event … They took the chance and purchased the property. That’s the history lesson of it. Who knows what will happen 25 years from now with land?”
Fitzpatrick concluded.
“We thank the Town for their forward thinking and we give our endorsement, as well,” he said.
Alderman Joe Pinnix made the motion to approve the purchase of the property and called the Board’s action historic for the Town. The motion was seconded by Alderman Chris Thompson before being unanimously approved, with support from Mayor Pro Tem Bill Apple and Aldermen John Barrow and J.R. Gorham, as well.
Pinnix and Thompson participated in Tuesday night’s meeting remotely, calling in on the Town’s phone lines.

Missing service dog

A local veteran and his family are still looking for the man’s missing service dog, hoping that flyers of the dog’s image will help bring the animal home.
Shea Valdezcruz and others have flooded social media group pages like the Kernersville Mommie’s Club and Kernersville 411, and local media outlets, with photos of black lab Garrett with Valdezcruz’s father, Rick Gaefe, as well as information on how to contact them if anyone sees or locates Garrett. As of Wednesday afternoon, Garrett was still missing, but new photos of him had been posted online.
According to Valdezcruz, Garrett first went missing from the Hwy. 158/Vance Road area on Thursday evening, Feb. 17, posting online, “Please be on the lookout for my dad’s guide dog, Garrett. He escaped out of the door last night in the wind storm. He’s an 8-year-old lab.”
In her post, Valdezcruz noted, “My dad is a veteran and completely blind and is desperate to get him back.”
On February 19, Valdezcruz noted how much Garrett means to her family.
“I never thought that a dog would mean this much to me or my family … but with Garrett being missing my heart breaks for him and for my dad. Garrett could be out in the cold, no food no water in going on three days. He means so much to my dad. Garrett literally keeps Dad safe every day when he is at work.”
That same evening, WXII Channel 12 News ran a story on Garrett, and Fox 8 News published a similar story on February 21.
Still, Garrett’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Gaefe, an Army veteran, has a visual impairment and is completely blind. He and Garrett were paired together seven years ago and he depends on Garrett to get around.
“I depend on him so much. And now that he’s gone, I feel like I lost my right-hand man,” Gaefe shared with the media.
Garrett is an all-black English Labrador Retriever with no other markings. He has tags and is microchipped. Garrett also has the number 7862 tattooed in his right ear.
Garrett was last seen near Barrow Road wearing a half chain and black fabric martingale collar.
If found, the family asks that people call 800-548-4337, or 631-930-9000.

Generations of Women United

Pastor Renae Miller is working to help women in the community through Generations of Women United, and is seeking donations through GoFundMe to house resources at a permanent location.
Miller, who lives in Kernersville, said Generations of Women United is run through her church, Power of God in Christ Ministries.
“Generations of Women United was established as a nonprofit last year with the state, but I’ve been doing women’s ministries since 2016,” she said. “I started out by doing clothing giveaways in communities in Winston-Salem and as I did that outreach, the passion and ministry just grew.”
Miller said her passion for helping women in need comes from growing up in public housing with as a young mother, as she shared that she was 16 when she had her child.
“We dealt with domestic violence and had just experienced a lot of things that women I have come into contact with throughout the years of doing outreach have experienced, which prompted Generations of Women United,” she shared.
Miller explained that Generations of Women United is a community of women reaching out.
“We’re on a mission to unmask the faces and unmuzzle the mouths of all generations of women, so the world can see the greater good in all generations of women,” she shared.
Miller said Generations of Women United does not yet have a brick and mortar building.
“We are just a ministry organization without walls, right now,” she said. “That’s where the GoFundMe came from. We’re trying to get a location so we can store and get resources out into the community.”
Right now, Miller said many of the resources are being stored at her church in Winston-Salem or in the basement at her home. She said the resources are for those in need or those who have lost things to fire or flood, or other reasons.
“Right now, I just pick locations throughout Kernersville and Forsyth County for outreach so people can receive what we have,” she said, noting that she hosts an outreach every month.
Miller said because of the size of their vision and the need in the community, she has set the goal for the GoFundMe to $500,000 in order to secure a location.
“Right now at my church, we have a room full of new and gently used clothes that I know the community can use, but because I don’t have the space to be able to set it up, it’s difficult to get it all out to the people who need it in the community,” she said. “We need a building or a location where we can set it up.”
Along with the clothing, Miller said they also have a food pantry at her church and a freezer so they can have meat and other perishable goods to provide to families in need.
“We have resources to assist with utilities to connect people if they don’t have the resources they need,” she said.
Miller added that with her background in property management, she also offers job readiness training, which includes resume writing, application assistance, basic computer training and women’s empowerment workshops.
“We are also going to be setting up a mentoring program to mentor to young women and young mothers,” she said.
Miller said we must start with the root of the problem in order to break the cycle.
“I believe that in order to (break the cycle), you have to get to the source. Everybody comes through the womb of a woman. We all have that in common. If the woman is broken, then when that seed is planted in the womb then it goes on to the next generation,” she said. “Until we come together in unity to partner with other leaders, whether religious or non-religious, and get to the root of some of the issues that some of our women are going through or have faced, the anxiety and fear and drug abuse is going to carry on into the next generation.”
She continued.
“My passion is to partner with other leaders in the community to see what we can do to help another generation to become better mothers to their children,” she said. “Whatever they are lacking and needing, I hope that those that have the resources are willing to step forward and assist the next generations.”
To make a donation to Generations of Women United, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-for-all-generations-of-women?qid=da20c20378d7ed389d5ae6e07b6e978f or go to www.GoFundMe.com and search “Generations of Women United.” For more information, visit Miller on Twitter @RenaeDM21, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Generations-of-Women-United-106684235006476, or email Generationsofwomenunited@gmail.com.

Days for Girls International

Meagan Hayes, a traveling nurse from Kernersville, is raising funds through GoFundMe to help girls in Nepal and around the world as she embarks on a hike through the Himalayans to reach Everest Base Camp.
Hayes explained that she first began hiking two years ago with her mom’s two good friends, Hope and Christina.
“I have done Salkantay Trail and W Trek in Patagonia and the Inca Trail in Peru. This will be my third summer,” she said.
Each time they do a hike, Hayes said they look up different organizations to support. This time, as they were planning their trip, Hayes came across Days for Girls (DfG). She said that while this organization supports countries all over the world, what stood out to her was their support for young women in Nepal.
According to their website, the mission of Days for Girls International is to increase access to menstrual supplies, shatter stigma through education, elevate menstrual health, and advocate for global policy change. To date, Days for Girls has reached more than 2.1 million women and girls in 144 countries on six continents.
“In Nepal, getting your period means ‘impurity.’ When a female begins her cycle, in some western parts of Nepal, she is subjected to stay in a shed for the entirety of her period. This practice is known as ‘chhaupadi.’ While being secluded, this means that young females are missing out on attending school, they are exposed to an abundance of health consequences, and sometimes left in dangerous conditions,” Hayes shared. “By donating to this organization, you are contributing to the creation and distribution of DfG kits and, of course, the education needed for them. These kits include a waterproof shield, two absorbent liners, underwear, a carry pouch, care and use guide, and soap and washcloths for sanitation. These kits cost roughly $5 US Dollars per individual to make and last them for up to several years. These tools give young women the chance to be a part of society and break stigma.”
Since Hayes and her friends are hiking in Nepal, she said they chose this organization to give back to.
“Since we are going in that direction, we chose to support them and give back,” she said.
Hayes said one thing that stood out to her about the organization were the cultural indifferences.
“Having your menstrual cycle is common here and part of your day-to-day life, but some of the old religious views and cultures look on it as an impurity,” she said. “As I started doing more research on why and how women are treated when they get their menstruation, I learned that they aren’t given the proper education and tools to take care of themselves in these more underdeveloped areas.”
Hayes explained that just $5 can support one girl.
“It’s cool to see how one small donation can impact one girl’s life for years,” she said. “And some of the other proceeds they give to the villages who are able to use the money to make more (supplies).”
For previous hikes, Hayes said they planned their adventures through WHOA (Women High on Adventure).
According to their website, WHOA is an inclusive, diverse and accepting company open to all. They are dedicated to creating sustainable travel experiences and protecting the places they love to explore.
“This organization is meant to empower women, no matter their age or background. The purpose is to just get out there and kick some butt on the trail,” she said.
This time, Hayes said they are using Embark Exploration Co. Their entire trip has been planned for them and they have already been introduced to their Sherpa.
“We will be starting in Katmandu and then we will start our eight-day trek to Everest Base Camp,” she said, noting that they will be hiking for a total of 14 days.
Hayes explained that upon meeting their Sherpa, she took her through the village she grew up in.
“Our Sherpa took us to the village that she grew up in. Her family cooked us a magnificent meal on the water there and talked about the different things they are doing to educate their children,” she said, adding that with the money they get from the trekking business, they are able to build their first library for the village. “Throughout this whole trek, we will be staying in small cities when we are camping and acclimating to the altitude, which will be the hardest part.”
During their hike, Hayes said there will be some days that they will stay in tea huts owned by the villagers, and sleeping on pallets in their sleeping bags in order to acclimate to the altitude as they must hike up to 17,598 ft elevation.
Hayes noted that they leave for their trip on April 17.
“I’m looking forward to visiting the different cities and villages, visiting their shops, eating their food and having conversations with them about how they live day-to-day and how they get their resources,” she said.
Hayes said prior to her hike three years ago in Peru, she had never really done any hiking.
“Before that, I had never hiked a day in my life. Then, I summited a major trail,” she said. “I know people have different lifestyles and hobbies, but I want people to go out of their comfort zones and believe they can do things they think are impossible. When you get that sense of accomplishment to do things that you didn’t think you could do, it changes your mindset.”
Following this summer’s hike to Everest Base Camp, Hayes has her sights set on hiking Mount Kilimanjaro as her next adventure.
For more information about Days for Girls International, visit www.daysforgirls.org. To make a donation in honor of Hayes’ hike, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/everest-base-camp-for-dfg. All funds raised through the GoFundMe will be given to Days for Girls International.

‘The Someday Letters’

“This is the story of how two young college students on two different paths met,” wrote author Ellen Watts as she described her recently published book, a tribute to her late husband, Dale Watts.
Ellen noted the short book features love letters the two sent back and forth over the years.
She explained that Dale lived in Kernersville while she lived in Scotland, NC but the two met 50 years ago while attending what is now The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
“Dale passed away two years ago, which is why I wrote the book, and there are people who still live here that were here in the 1970s that knew him,” she said.
In the book, Ellen shares the story about how they met and how their love grew over the years, sharing excerpts from the various love letters they saved throughout their courtship.
She noted their first love letter was written by her the day after what they considered as their first date.
“His letters were so heartfelt, and I treasured every word,” she wrote in the book leading up to a love letter Dale wrote, which is featured in the book.
As she spoke about the book, Ellen said those who read it will find out who she and Dale were and why they fell in love with each other.
Ellen explained that while this is the first book she has written, she has written various other things, including poems and for the recipe book at her church, First Presbyterian Church in Kernersville.
“I’ve also been writing short stories for years, but this is my first book,” she said.
As for the title of the book, Ellen features a poem in the book that she wrote, entitled “Someday.”
Ellen began writing “The Someday Letters” one year after Dale’s passing. While she mentioned that it was helpful in her healing, she wanted to write it for her grandchildren.
“I really wrote it for my grandchildren. I knew how my parents and grandparents met, and I wanted them to know how we met,” she said. “When I give them things like China, I write a story to go with it, and I felt that they needed to know this story.”
Ellen said the book was self-published and is available for print on demand through Book Baby, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and more.
“The editing process was a huge learning adventure for me,” she said. “I had to learn different things with editing online.”
Ellen said the book has been very well received so far and is something that can be read in one sitting.
“It’s letters from when we were in college and started dating, and went home for summer before going back to college,” she said. “It tells our love story.”

Expanding radio coverage

East Forsyth Alum Desmond Johnson has expanded his radio coverage of sports in the local area to the benefit of athletes, schools and parents.
Johnson, the owner of Tobacco Sports Radio (Tobaccoroadsports.radio.com), branched out on his own in November 2019. He formerly was a programming/creative director at WSJS and also worked at The Wolf (locally 93.1).
“I left WSJS in November of 2019 with the idea of doing something. I graduated from East Forsyth in 1996, so I already had a relationship with East Forsyth. I brought them on WSJS when they won the (football) state championship in 2018. I am the full-time employee and I have a rotating group of people that do play by play. I started off covering East Forsyth and, luckily, they went back-to-back for the state title. I wanted to put together a sports network that was hyper local,” Johnson said. “Then Covid happened so having a sports network was difficult. I launched Tobacco Road on Labor Day of 2020. I figured enough was happening, so I launched Tobacco Road as an LLC. I just took a couple of live things I wanted to do. Football got pushed to spring and I also covered baseball. We had two football seasons in 12 months. I wanted to focus on East Forsyth, Forsyth County and the Triad. We also did some local ACC stuff. I felt like local sports were not being covered the way it should be. We also do Glenn home games for football and basketball, and we are planning a full-fledged East Forsyth sports network for 2022-23. Tobacco Road is an in internet-based radio network run out of the Triad. It is locally produced sports with live sports and talk shows. High School sports is our bread and butter, but we will also be broadcasting Carolina Cobras arena football and we will be doing some production for NC A & T football. In addition to the East and Glenn games, we do a game of the week. We mostly stay in the CP 4-A (Central Piedmont 4-A) and stay with the best games.”
While he had been focusing more on football and basketball in the area, East Forsyth’s run to the softball state championship was a big hit for Johnson and Tobacco Road Sports. In a very exciting three-game State championship series, East Forsyth lost 1-0 in Game 1, won 1-0 in Game 2 and lost 6-5 in Game 3.
“East Forsyth asked me if I would cover it if they went to the softball state championship. That state championship series was the most listened to thing we have had. We had thousands of people listening,” said Johnson.
Johnson has plans on expanding Tobacco Road Sports Radio. He enjoyed his time at WSJS and The Wolf, but is enjoying what he does now more. He has deep roots with East Forsyth and has prospered from and treasures his relationship with the school and its people.
“My dad, Sherman Johnson, was an All-State basketball player at East back in the 70s. I graduated in media studies from UNC-G. I did a lot of radio in college. I started in sales at WSJS, and I came back to WSJS to do high school sports radio. Eventually, I became the creative director, and eventually I found my way back home,” said Johnson. “I am slowly going at a pace where I can keep my arms around everything and focus on the kids here and the sports talent here in the Triad. East Forsyth’s athletic people have been so instrumental in helping Tobacco Road. They know we will present them in a positive light, and I am extremely thankful to be a part of that. It really is a family type thing in terms of the people involved.”
In addition to the live sports on radio, Johnson has a two-hour interactive radio show, The Rundown, every Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. that is on WSJS and WWBG 1470 a.m., and The Score, a two hour show on Fridays at 3 p.m. All of the coverage is more diverse and the radio shows are interactive. Johnson was also just added to the Sports Illustrated beat for the Greensboro Swarm, an NBA G League team and an affiliate of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
“With the football and basketball games, they are broadcast live through the National Federation of High Schools’ (NFHS) website on television, laptops and phone. You get it off radio and video feeds so you are hearing our play by play on top of it. A lot of people are not taking advantage of the audio portions. We are the only ones in the area that have the audio in sync with the video. With the radio shows, since we are digital, you can go live on to Facebook and ask questions. We really wanted to do something that was different. The host will see and answer in real time.”

Light Up the World

Living with a rare disease known as Holt-Oram, Nakisha Isom, under the author pen name “Giovanni Long,” is helping raise awareness with NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders) during the Light Up The World campaign on February 28.
To show their support, Isom said the Reynolds residence building and several Novant Health locations, including Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center, will be participating by lighting their buildings up with the rare disease colors – blue, green, purple and pink.
According to rarediseases.org, the concept of Light Up The World originated in 2019 when the Empire State Building in New York City was striped in Rare Disease Day colors thanks to the work of Rocket Pharma, a member of NORD’s Corporate Council.
Living with Holt-Oram, Isom founded the “Living with Holt-Oram Sydrome” support group on Facebook and recently published a book, “Nina’s Big Day.”
Isom explained that Holt-Oram was originally known as heart-hand syndrome, but the name changed after two scientists did more research.
“It is a rare syndrome affecting one out of every 100,000 live births,” she said. “It affects the development of the arms and hands and the development of your heart. It is a mutating syndrome, so everyone who has the syndrome may not look the same.”
Isom said in her case, she was born with a hand difference and does not have traditional thumbs. She also had a hole in her heart (VSD), but didn’t find out until about nine years ago when she passed out at work. It was then that she learned more about her syndrome.
“I was working at Novant and went in on my day off and ended up passing out on the job. They took me to the ER and did a work up,” she said. “They referred me to Dr. Mitchell, a Winston-Salem cardiologist, and he was the one that found the hole in my heart. From there, I was referred to a cardiovascular surgeon and he repaired the hole in my heart.”
Growing up as a kid with a difference, Isom said it wasn’t easy. Even now, she has to take a medication for the rest of her life due to the surgery she had to fix the hole in her heart.
“Because I was born with a hand difference on both of my hands, I definitely got into my fair share of altercations growing up,” she said. “As I get older, I’m finding it more difficult to do things, but I have never let that stop me. As a teenager, I played every sport and did anything I wanted to do. If I wanted to do it, I made it happen.”
Along with the support group she started on Facebook, Isom also wrote “Nina’s Big Day,” a children’s book that talks about a girl who has Holt-Oram syndrome and her first day of school.
Isom noted that the difference the girl has in the book is a play-off of her dad who was born with two short arms.
“I wrote the book to bring awareness. As a kid, you are kind of a target and I wanted to let other children like me know that they are not alone and that there are others out there like us and to not give up,” she said. “Keep being determined to be whoever you want to be.”
Isom noted that the book went live on Amazon.com in November and sells for $14.95.
If interested in taking part in Light Up The World (for Rare Disease Day) on February 28, Isom said anyone can celebrate on either a big or small scale to raise awareness.
Isom said the message she hopes people will take away from Light Up The World is to raise awareness.
“I want to raise awareness for rare diseases as a whole, not just for mine. And I want to show solidarity and support for those that have it,” she said. “We want to let people know that we are out here and we are aware that we are different, but we are just the same and live and love like everyone else.”
If interested in participating in Light Up The World, there are three easy steps: Sign Up, Light Up, and Share.
To sign up, visit www.rarediseases.org/light-up-for-rare to let them know what landmark you are pledging to light up for Rare Disease Day – no matter how big or small. Then complete the application as required by the places you are pledging to light up.

Joan & Lee Hope Award

Following the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Banquet, Rick and Beth Pierce were presented with the Joan & Lee Hope Impact Award.
During the banquet, Emcee Allan Younger shared who the award was named after and why Rick and Beth Pierce were receiving the award.
“Joan and Lee Hope were key people in our community for decades. Joan was involved in the Kernersville Little Theatre and Kiwanis, and volunteered in the Chamber office. Lee was on the Oak Ridge Military Academy board, served as long term chairman of the Kernersville Christmas Parade until his death, and was instrumental in fundraising for the YMCA,” he said. “This award is presented with sincere appreciation to those that are most impactful in long-term leadership and service in our community.”
He continued.
“Rick and Beth Pierce are no strangers to hard work and making it happen in Kernersville.”
After returning from Disney World, where Rick and Beth spent Rick’s birthday, they were presented with the award at the Chamber of Commerce by Chamber CEO and President Chris Comer.
“We were getting ready to leave for Disney when Chris called to tell us about the award,” Rick said.
Both Rick and Beth said they were surprised when they heard about the award, because it’s not why they do the things they do in the community.
“Beth and I do what is in our hearts and we’re blessed that our families were fixtures in Kernersville,” Rick said of his parents, the late Jack and Martha Pierce, his sister, the late Pam Pierce-Smith, and his brother, Mike Pierce. “We moved here in 1965 and we literally lived upstairs at the Pierce-Jefferson home for five years, so Kernersville became part of our family.”
While Rick grew up in Kernersville, Beth grew up primarily in Rocky Mount. After being married, Rick and Beth moved back to Kernersville and it became their home.
While in Kernersville, Beth, now retired, worked as the human resources director for the retail branch of Sara Lee. Rick continues to work and is in his 40th year with National General Insurance, which he noted was formally GMAC insurance and Integon in Winston-Salem.
Beth said one of the reasons they enjoy helping in the community is because of their families.
“We both come from families that have a long-standing tradition of supporting the community,” Beth said. “They gave us a good example.”
In the Kernersville community, both have volunteered and given to the community.
Beth worked with The Shepherd’s Center of Kernersville for 15 years, where she ran projects, events and campaigns. Rick serves on the Board of Directors for the Kernersville Museum and is a 30 plus year member of the Lions Club.
Rick and Beth have also given to Kernersville as a way to remember loved ones.
One of the things they gave was the star atop the Pinnix Building in downtown Kernersville.
“We had that built in memory of my dad in 2005,” he said. “This past Christmas was the 17th year of lighting that star.”
When driving through Kernersville around the holidays, you’ll notice the Blinkie Lights, which, if you look closely, have one red light on each strand in memory of Rick’s sister.
“The beginning of the Blinkies was in 2019 when my friend Roger Briles invented the Blinkies. Kernersville was the first place they were introduced on a mass scale,” he said.
In 2016, outdoor speakers were placed throughout downtown Kernersville after Rick’s mom passed away.
“Kernersville was the first town in the US to have that particular technology installed, with the help of the Town,” he said.
This past Christmas, Rick and Beth decorated the inside of The Weaning Cabin at the Kernersville Museum, and had originally helped Kernersville Museum Executive Director Kelly Hargett create the Hometown Christmas theme, with this year being their second year.
Beth added that she also ran the financial campaign to upfit the new Gralin Street building for The Shepherd’s Center of Kernersville, which they had a generous outpouring from the community to make that happen.
As for volunteering and giving in the community, Beth and Rick said they just enjoy it.
“We like being known as doers. If they ask, they know we’ll look for a way to get it done,” Beth said. “We like to do little things behind the scenes, too.”
Rick noted that his father was a funeral director.
“It took me a long time to understand that he was there for people at a low time,” he said. “That’s probably what drew my career in insurance and why it is that we like to help people at their lowest time.”
“Our entire family is grounded in helping people, and volunteering comes easy to us,” Beth said.
Beth added that they feel like it’s an honor and privilege when they are asked to volunteer.
“We have fun doing it,” she remarked.

Barefoot to Benefactor

Dr. Lenny Peters, owner of Bethany Medical Center, shared his life story of faith and courage in his recently released book, Barefoot to Benefactor.
Born into a Christian family, Peters grew up in India in the impoverished village of Murukkumpuzha, where he said they had no running water or electricity. He said he had an advantage because he was intelligent and valued school, recalling that he walked barefoot across fields every day to go to school.
“I was blessed and everyone knew I was different,” he said.
By the time he was in the 10th grade, Peters was doing college level work and had finished all of his sciences. By the age of 14, he had the chance to take the national entrance exam for medical school. Finishing in the top five, Peters was accepted into medical school. Being accepted into medical school at such a young age, Peters went into the city and started his career with a combined premed/medical program.
Along the way, Peters said he met many people who helped him, which he referred to as “angels without wings.”
“They were just common, average people that lifted me up for no reason,” he said.
While in medical school, Peters began to wonder more about the history of India and had a different view of the country’s past than others, as he mentioned that many people were angry about the British taking all the wealth of India.
“I looked at our past very differently,” he said, as he explained that he saw that Britain’s influence helped to unite India and gave them an international language. “We went from six million people to now 1.3 billion.”
Peters decided he wanted to go to London, but he realized he needed a sponsor and funds to get there.
“I had to sell my motorbike and then asked for donations from my family,” he said, noting that he needed $2,000 for a plane ticket.
Peters said someone he knew told him about a friend of theirs in London that could sponsor him, which he referred to as another moment of being helped by an angel without wings.
After arriving in London, Peters’ sponsor took him from the ritzy area of the country to the poor area. He stayed in a one-room house, where five guys lived and there was a stove on the floor. That night, Peters said his sponsor served him a bowl of rice and gave up his bed for him to sleep in. Peters had two months until he would need to take the entrance exam in Scotland. Again, without a way to get there, Peters learned that his sponsor worked for the British Airline and could get him a ride on the Flying Scotsman, which was a very fast train that could get him to Scotland within four hours.
After taking his entrance exam, Peters found a job within three weeks in London and began working his way up the ladder. During that time, Peters met another angel without wings that became his mentor.
“Sir Grey, a doctor with the royal family, wanted me to run three hospitals,” he said, noting that he was only 24 years old at the time. “I went from sleeping in a one-bedroom house in London to, four years later, eating with the royal family and being invited every Wednesday to play cricket and have dinner with the royal family. Things like that happened to me all my life.”
After earning his medical degree and practicing medicine in both the United Kingdom and Africa, Peters moved to the US and founded Bethany Medical Center in High Point in 1987.
Peters said Christians are a minority group in India, making up less than five percent of the population.
“Christianity is less than five percent of the population in India and it was a big part of my life,” he remarked. “I am an instrument of God. As a doctor, I only treat. God heals.”
Although it wasn’t easy growing up in India as a Christian, Peters said it was a big part of his life. Even on his medical jacket, which he wore while working as a doctor for 45 years, Peters had a quote sewn in red that read, “I treat, God heals.”
Furthermore, he continued his faith into his medical practice.
“Bethany comes from the Bible,” Peters said. “I picked that name because I wanted the company to be all inclusive.”
Uniquely, Peters noted that Bethany Medical Company is the largest independent provider, the fourth largest health care system in the area, and the largest, single owner practice in NC with 15 locations and 15 specialties. The company sees roughly 1,200 patients each day at the 15 locations and 40 patients each day at the Kernersville location. It is also the largest minority owned business in the state.
Peters began writing his book during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was quarantined at home.
“I wanted people to know that if we are willing to open our eyes and our souls, that there are people that are willing to help,” he said.
Along with founding and owning Bethany Medical Center, Peters served as the founding director of Bank of North Carolina, which later became Pinnacle Bank, and served as co-chairman of the Board of Directors for Carolina State Bank. Along with banking, Peters also got involved with real estate and has the largest real estate company in High Point, Peters Development LLC.
Not driven by money, but success and helping others, Peters started the Lenny Peters Foundation in 2006, which founded many other organizations in India including the Jayamatha Boys Home, Lenny Peters Home for Girls, Lenny Peters Home for Palliative Care Center, Lenny Peters Prayer Center, Lenny Peters Divine Mercy Home, Lenny Peters Home for Child Protection, and Lenny Peters Home for Family Welfare, as well as the Lenny Peters Home or Children in Johannesburg, South Africa. Along with helping abroad, the Foundation also supports numerous ministries and nonprofits in the Piedmont Triad area.
Along with the many things that he has achieved, Peters said he was most particularly proud of being selected as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Cardinal of India.
In fact, Peters said it was the Cardinal that encouraged him to write about Christianity in India, pushing him to write Barefoot to Benefactor.
Peters has four children, Shirin Peters Rizzo, who owns Bethany Medical Clinic of New York; Elise Peters Carey, president of Bethany Medical Center; Anthony Peters; and Nicole Peters.
One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the book will be donated to orphans and cancer patients. For more information about the Lenny Peters Foundation, visit www.lennypetersfoundation.org.

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