Burke Sunrise Rotary

The members of the Burke County Sunrise Rotary Club got a refresher course in all there is to do in Burke County. Ed Phillips, CEO of Burke County Tourism, presented an excellent program on many of the sights and activities in our county and the surrounding area, many of which have been featured in “Our State” magazine. In November of 2023 Burke County opened a new Visitors’ Center in downtown Morganton. Ed who is originally from Greensboro has spent many years working in the Hospitality and Tourism field. So far in 2024 there has been a 90% increase in visitors. In 2022 approximately $130 million dollars were spent in Burke County. During his presentation Ed said that his father suffered with the effects of Polio. He complimented Rotary for all their efforts over the years to eradicate Polio.
(Ed is pictured with Rotary Member Alison Azbell and her daughter Josie).

The Burke Sunrise Rotary Club had a special presentation recently to induct Josie Mae Lane, daughter of Alison Azbell, President-Elect, as a Paul Harris Fellow. Josie was presented with a special certificate by current club President Keith Cannon. Josie will be 7 years old in July and attends early morning club meetings with her mom. It is hoped that Josie will continue to maintain her interest in Rotary as certainly the youngest Paul Harris Fellow in Burke County!

Sherrie Sigmon, author of "Weaving the Heart Threads of a Mill Village", made a return visit to Burke Sunrise Rotary to educate the members about the history of Rhodhiss, which celebrated 120 years of incorporation in 2023. She is joined in the picture by inviting member David Wiese, Rick Justice the Town Manager, and her husband Mike.

Rotary member Emeritus Henry Ramseur and his wife Penina and daughter Nina returned to the Rotary Club of Burke-Sunrise for their traditional “Groundhog Day” celebration. Nina bakes groundhog cookies, Henry wears his top hat and Penina holds her pet groundhog. Rotary club members look forward to this special day. Henry and Penina will be celebrating their 93rd birthdays early this year.

Rotary member Chip Black introduced Kevin Baxter, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Campus Officer for the Morganton campus of the NC School for Science and Math. Kevin brought members of the Rotary Club of Burke-Sunrise up-to-date on the Morganton campus which officially opened in 2022. They currently have 147 students who are all from North Carolina. There are 110 employees at the school including 41 faculty members.
The idea of a special school for high school Juniors and Seniors with an emphasis on Science and Math in North Carolina started in 1980 in Durham. In 2015 the North Carolina General Assembly selected Morganton as the location for a 2nd school. $110 million was allotted for the new facility. The school has a diverse student and faculty population. Students are selected by teachers and counselors from all areas of the state. Between the school in Durham and Morganton there is a capacity for 980 students. The only cost for students is Room and Board.
North Carolina is first in the nation with these special Science and Math schools. They will be setting an example for other schools that other states are considering.

Rotary club member, Larry Carpenter, welcomed guest speakers Miranda Smith and Samantha Simmons to this past week’s meeting. Miranda has been with the Public Information Office for the Burke County Public Health Department for the past 7 months. She and Samantha have recently completed a Health Assessment survey of Burke County citizens. There were 3 areas surveyed using various focus groups. The 3 priority areas were: 1. Mental Health 2. Substance Use Disorders and 3. Obesity with Risk Factors. Out of 2,149 responses, 888 citizens said they had been impacted by someone who had mental health issues. The survey, also, showed Burke County has a high rate of drug overdoses and 36% of County adults have problems with obesity. The next survey is due to be conducted in 2025.

Katie Varnadoe, Director of Behavioral Health for Burke County, flanked by member Buddy Armour and President Keith Cannon, met with members of the Burke Sunrise Rotary Club to discuss the opioid problem in Burke County. $24 million dollars has been made available to Burke County from the opiioid settlement to use from 2022 to 2038 to develop a plan to fight opioid abuse. A work group has been established made up of hospitals and various health groups to fight this disorder. Burke County averages 1 overdose per day among a group of mainly white, non-Hispanic individuals between the ages of 25 to 65. These opioid overdoses have a tremendous impact on entire families.
Katie gave Rotary members boxes of Narcan which is a nasal spray to be used for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses. Narcan is designed to rapidly reverse the effects of opioids.
In addition to working to fight drug overdoses the committee is, also, looking into preventive measures, studying the pipeline for the drugs.

Club member and Past President, Maureen “Mo” Schwind, Executive Director of Burke County United Way, and new Financial Coach, Keith Conley, were introduced to members of the Rotary Club of Burke-Sunrise by club President Keith Cannon. The United Way is working to address our community needs with a strong emphasis on self-sufficiency. Financial statistics show that 40% of Burke County individuals have incomes below the Federal poverty level. 57% of Americans have less than $1,000 dollars to meet emergency needs.

Keith spent 15 years as Director for Financial Aid at Western Piedmont. He grew up in a family that struggled to make ends meet, so he understands individuals that have faced similar life styles. He is anxious to financial coach individuals who are wanting to work toward future goals.