The B.W. Wells Association will hold its annual meeting at Rockcliff Farm off Stony Hill Road on Sunday, Sept. 17, beginning at 12:30 p.m., rain or shine. Current members and prospective members are invited for the barbecue lunch provided by Jimmy Ray and his family and the guest speaker, Wake County Commissioner Sig Hutchinson. You are asked to RSVP by Sept. 11 to bwwells01@aol.com if you plan to come with your name and the number of guests. Friends and members can renew their membership at http://www.bwwells.org/involved/. They can also download the membership form and mail it and their check to BW Wells Association, PO Box 1901, Wake Forest, NC 27588.  

By Douggy Johnson (Courtesy of the Wake County Veterans Services) Even though Veterans Day is months away, the veterans of Wake County have plenty to be excited about. As many as 1,000 veterans are expected to attend the Veterans Experience Action Center (VEAC) in Cary – some from as far away as southern Maryland. This VEAC is a partnership between the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Wake County Veterans Services to allow veterans the rare opportunity to engage the VA face-to-face. Veterans can find out the statuses of their pending VA claims or can sit with an experienced veterans’ services officer (VSO) to learn how to start a VA claim. The VEAC will be held at the Herbert Young Community Center in Cary from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 through Saturday, Sept. 16. While the VEAC is a great

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a Father Daughter Dance on Friday, Sept. 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fathers and daughters throughout Wake Forest are invited to celebrate their special bond during an unforgettable evening at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor Street. Featuring music, dancing, and refreshments, this event is sure to create memories that will last a lifetime. The cost is $20 per couple and $5 for each additional daughter. To register, visit http://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/recdeskportal/. For more information about the Father-Daughter Dance, contact PRCR Program Superintendent Monica Lileton at 919-435-9563 or mlileton@wakeforestnc.gov

The Wake Forest Human Relations Council has announced several exciting changes to this year’s Good Neighbor Day, including a new day, new location and free shuttle service. Good Neighbor Day is an annual celebration that assembles Wake Forest residents from all walks of life for a day of food, fun, and family entertainment. By bringing together a mix of cultures, music, ages and ethnicities, the event celebrates diversity and promotes goodwill among all of Wake Forest’s citizens. For the past 11 years, the HRC has offered the popular community event on the third Sunday in September at Holding Park. This year, in an effort to encourage even greater participation by area residents, Good Neighbor Day will be on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. at E. Carroll Joyner Park on Harris Road. In addition to the new day and location will be the introduction of free shuttle service,

The public is invited to join the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, Sept. 16, at the N.C. Museum of Art at 2110 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh. Hannah, age 11, of Wake Forest will represent the orange promise garden flower during the Walk’s symbolic ceremony, representing someone who supports the cause. “I walk to honor my grandfather who passed away this summer from Alzheimer’s and to raise money so we can kick this disease out forever,” she said. Walk to End Alzheimer’s participants will complete a 1.5-mile walk and learn about Alzheimer’s disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies enrollment and support programs and services from the Alzheimer’s Association. Walk participants will also join in a tribute ceremony to honor those affected by the disease. The walk features “courtesy turns” for those who want to walk a shorter distance, as well as live music, vendor tables, photo booths, refreshments, face painting

This year’s Wake Forest Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, beginning at 1 p.m. As usual, a large and enthusiastic crowd is expected. You can be a part of the parade. Apply at the Wake Forest Town Hall at 301 Brooks Street or online at www.wakeforestnc.govv/wake-forest-christmas-parade.aspx. Submit your application either online or by mail to Wake Forest Christmas Parade, c/o Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., 301 Brooks Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587. Payment for each entry is due with the application. Entries postmarked by Monday, Oct. 30, will be considered for inclusion based on the number of entries needed for each category. Accepted entrants will be notified via email no later than Monday, Nov. 6. Parade packets for accepted participants will be mailed Monday, Nov. 20. The packet will include vehicle passes, parking information, and other pertinent event details. The parade is sponsored by PowerSecure and presented by Wake Forest Downtown. For

The Wake Forest Fire Department is showing its support for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) as its members kick off the annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign to help kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) and related muscle-debilitating diseases live longer and grow stronger. Continuing a more than 60-year tradition, the dedicated fire fighters from Wake Forest Fire Department will hit the streets or storefronts with boots in hand asking pedestrians, motorists, customers and other passersby to make a donation to MDA on three Saturdays — Aug. 26, Sept. 9, and Sept. 23 — between 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the entrance of Wake Pointe Plaza on South Main Street. It is the entrance to Walmart. On Tuesday, Aug. 15, Wake Forest fire fighters kicked off the fund-raising drive by presenting the national MDA and a local MDA family

The 38th annual Wake Forest CROP Hunger Walk is set for Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. The simple walk, which begins and ends at the Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 North Main Street, is approximately 1.5 miles on flat sidewalks in the beautiful historical homes neighborhood in Wake Forest. Everyone may participate. All participants will sign in at the registration table at the museum at 2 p.m. on Sept. 24, and step-off time will be 2:30 p.m. Bring non-perishable foods to donate to Tri-Area Ministry’s food pantry. At the sign-in, donate an amount you choose, either with cash or with a check payable to CROP Hunger Walk. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised here will go to Tri-Area Ministry food pantry in Wake Forest. Other funds will provide programs in the U.S. and around the world to end hunger and poverty and to provide disaster relief. See you there,

The Wake Forest Greenways Advisory Board will celebrate the opening of 3.7 miles of new trails in the area greenway system on Saturday, Sept. 30, during the Tri-Creek Greenway Crawl. The festivities will begin at 1 p.m. with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating the newly constructed sections of the Smith, Sanford and Dunn Creek Greenways. The ribbon-cutting will take place at the trailhead near Foundation Drive – next to Heritage High School, 1150 Forestville Road. The ceremony will include brief comments by Mayor Vivian Jones and other local dignitaries. A scavenger hunt highlighting several interesting features along the length of the new trails will follow. Free and open to the public, the Tri-Creek Greenway Crawl will include exhibits, handouts and special prize giveaways. The VFW Chuckwagon will also be onsite selling hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones and other sweet treats.  

Wake Electric is now accepting applications for Bright Ideas education grants of up to $3,000 for creative classroom projects. The early-bird deadline with a chance to win $100 has passed; the final deadline for applications is Sept. 13. Learn more and apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com. The grants of up to $3,000 reward creative, classroom-based learning projects. More than $600,000 in Bright Ideas funding will be awarded to teachers across the state through the North Carolina electric cooperatives. Last year Wake Electric awarded $50,000 in Bright Ideas grants to teachers at qualifying schools in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties. Teachers can apply individually or as a team.