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If you are reading this then you know that the Town of Wilkesboro has a new website. We are very excited about the opportunities this new website presents for the Town and its citizens. Now citizens and others can find information online or use e-mail to contact the Town staff or officials - at whatever time is convenient! Features on the site will include access to selected Town documents, a calendar of upcoming events, and this - your Town newsletter! Our hope is not just to serve citizens but to showcase Wilkesboro to others who may want to visit, do business, or settle down here.
On February 4, 2003, the Wilkesboro Volunteer Fire Department presented a check to the Wilkesboro Retired Firemen's Fund in the amount of $20,000. This is the second year in a row that the fire department has donated this amount to the retiree's fund. The fund will be used to help pay for small pensions earned by retired firemen who had at least 20 years of service with Wilkesboro VFD. The photo at left shows the current Wilkesboro VFD fire chief Mike Testerman presenting the check to Ray Stroud, who manages the fund for the department.
The secret is out and more people than ever are flocking to our campground to spend the last weekend in April with us. Yes, some will say that they come to town for Merlefest, but we like to think that we play an important part in making that decision. Why people would want to spend up to a week at a wastewater treatment facility is hard to explain, but they come from across the US, Canada, and several foreign countries. Maybe it’s because Cub Creek flows through the campground, or the fact that the entire property is bordered on one side by the mighty Yadkin River. Maybe it’s because there are over 59 acres of grass and woods that you can explore while you are here, but whatever the reasons people keep coming back. 1998 was our first year with only about 50 campsites, and we managed to clear about $984.00. 1999 was a little better and we cleared $5,015. 2000 we doubled, and ended up clearing $10,125. 2001 was even better and we ended up showing a profit of $19,528. 2002 was our best year ever with over 2,600 people staying with us in 550 Tent and RV campsites. We made over $29,000 with $24,790 profit. 2003 is off to a great start with a 20% increase over last year. Our first checks started coming in around the first of October 2002. Along with camping, last year some of our other fundraisers included putting out and taking down the chairs for WCC at the Merlefest, parking cars for the Wilkes AutoFest, raffling off a chainsaw, and co-sponsoring the First Annual Veteran’s Day Carolina Foothills Amateur Boxing Invitational. We are fortunate in the fact that all the money required to support the fire department is budgeted by the Town of Wilkesboro, and thus we are able to use money raised to help support other organizations. The majority of the money that we raise throughout the year goes to the Wilkesboro Retired Fireman’s fund, with over $47,200 donated in the past three years. We also donate money to the Special Olympics, United Way, American Cancer Society, Wilkes County Safe Kids, and the Yadkin River Greenway. Fire Prevention merchandise is also purchased and given to schoolchildren in Wilkes County every year. If you ask the firemen what they enjoy doing the most it would have to be giving out treat bags before Christmas. This tradition started some 45 or 50 years ago with fireman packing bags of candy and fruit and giving them out to small children on the steps of the old courthouse. We have expanded over the years to include anyone willing to give Santa a hug. We also go to the rest homes in Town where Santa goes from room to room handing out bags of treats, and spreading the Christmas Spirit. |
