7 days ago
Western NC community honors Memorial Day, hurricane recovery progress
LAKE LURE, N.C. (WSPA) – More than a hundred people gathered for the annual Memorial Day celebration in the town of Lake Lure Monday. It was both a time to honor those who serve, and the milestones the community has reached post Helene.
Dozens of people packed into Roosevelt Hall at The 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa for the Memorial Day program. The theme this year was to remember and honor all who've served.
Songs and poems flooded Roosevelt Hall for nearly an hour. Those inside the hall paid homage to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice as well as their families.
'I think this is a wonderful event for honoring the soldiers who gave their lives, and being here is important, I think, for everyone really,' said Polly Hughes, a visitor to the program.
Polly Hughes and her husband Ted told 7NEWS both of their fathers were veterans and they were there to pay their respects.
'My father was career military. He was in the special forces. He was in World War II [and] Korea. He was shot in Korea, and almost died,' Ted said.
Colonel Brad Morgan of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers served as this year's ceremonial guest speaker.
'Personally, it's pretty substantial. You kind of think through, for myself, 25 years of service thus far,' said Morgan. 'I've lost some friends, I've lost some soldiers. It means a lot to have that ability to speak on their behalf because they've lost their voice.'
Mayor of Lake Lure Carol Pritchett said the Memorial Day event not only unified the local community, but showcased the town's resilience and recovery eight months after Helene.
'They keep this dedication and this feeling about this celebration even in the depths of the disaster. So, very important for us to all come together and rejoice,' said Pritchett.
It's a showing of support those who attended the event said is critical for the town of 1,400 people.
'Proud to play a small role in helping them recover,' Morgan also said. 'Obviously a lot of my mission here is to get the debris going. Help them restore, and really recreate a sense of normalcy here.'
Mayor Pritchett added Memorial Day and Veterans Day are two of the most important holidays of the year for Lake Lure, which she said is a highly patriotic community. She's hopeful the venue will see more visitors in the years ahead.
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