Today, Jason Brown and his wife Tay, owners of First Fruits Farm, a farm with a mission to aid hunger relief in eastern North Carolina, announced two significant milestones; this year the farm celebrates five years of serving the community as well as breaks the one million pound mark for food donated. Founded in 2012 by Jason, a former NFL Offensive Linemen, First Fruits Farm’s first harvest was in 2014. During that year, 100,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and 10,000 pounds of cucumbers were donated to organizations such as the Interfaith Food Shuttle, the Society of St. Andrews, and the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina. 2019 marks five years of the farm’s efforts to aid hunger relief in North Carolina, and the program has expanded its footprint and partnerships. In addition, this fall the farm celebrates breaking the one million pound mark for food donated to the community. First

The Jim Allen Group presents the 14th Annual Gobbler’s Run 5K on November 28. With all proceeds benefiting the Wake Forest Boys & Girls Club, this family-friendly Thanksgiving Day event is a great way to bring families together and support the community. The 3.1 mile loop is an easy stroll through downtown and historic Wake Forest. Push your kids or bring your dog – strollers and pets are welcome. You’ll get a race T-shirt and be able to eat more turkey without the guilt! The 5K race will start and finish at the Boys & Girls Club at 325 South Wingate Street in Wake Forest. The course is mostly flat, looping through the historic residential and business districts. There will be one water stop at the half-way point located on North Main Street. You can view a course map on our website. The Gobbler’s Run is capped at 2,300 runners this year.  Register early

The Wake Forest Police Department has scheduled its next Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) class for Tuesday, Oct. 29. The session will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. inside the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre at 405 South Brooks Street. There is no cost to participate, but registration is required at http://bit.ly/WFPD_CRASE. Class size is limited to the first 100 people to register. Please note: Every participant must register individually – one person per form. On the evening of the class, attendees may be required to show proof of registration prior to entering the Renaissance Centre. Led by Wake Forest Police Lt. L. Danforth, the session will teach participants what to do if confronted with an active shooter event. Designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend (ADD) strategy developed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University, the class will provide strategies, guidance

The Wake Forest Rise Against Hunger event will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Wake Forest United Methodist Church. Organizers say the volunteers will pack about 55,000 meals. The organizers will start setting up at 8 a.m. and volunteers are asked to check in between 9:30 and 10 before the approximately two hours it will take to pack the food and clean up afterward. The organizers said, “We request that all participants bring canned food as a donation to Hope House, the food pantry for Friendship Chapel Baptist Church. “We are requiring all participants to register for the event as we are expecting participants from more than 20 organizations as well as the general public.  We have capped the number of volunteers for meal packing at 250.  Please find below the link for registration.  You can make a single entry and then adjust the

Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry announces that its third annual Stop Hunger, Feed Hope dinner-auction-fundraiser to combat hunger will be held Friday, Oct. 18, at the Wake Forest Presbyterian Church on Capital Boulevard. Tri-Area wants to raise $75,000 to increase its capacity and to enable them to add fresh foods like eggs, fruits and vegetables to the non-perishable items it loads into bags for the 750-plus families – 2,400 people – it helps each month. Volunteers distribute about 12 tons of food a month. They have a number of sponsorships for the dinner and auction as well as different ads for the program. Sponsorships begin at the titanium level of $10,00 or more and go down to a bronze level of $500. Ads range from $75 to $300. Most businesses and many people in the Wake Forest-Rolesville-Youngsville area have received the two-page letter outlining Tri-Area’s goal, needs and sponsorships. If you

The weather this fall is certainly cooperating with Music at Midday after the first concert had to be cancelled because of fears about Hurricane Dorian. This final concert will feature jazz and soul performers Lydia Salett Dudley and Lou Padro. It will return next spring. Area residents are encouraged to bring lunch – either from home or a local restaurant – relax and enjoy the entertainment during Music at Midday. Lumpy’s Ice Cream will be on site during each concert selling desserts and sweet treats. The music series is cosponsored by the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department and ARTS Wake Forest. It takes place from noon to 1 p.m. in Centennial Plaza in front of the Wake Forest Town Hall at 301 South Brooks Street. For information about the performers, visit http://bit.ly/WFMusicMidday. #

Updated September 25, 2019 Northern Wake Senior Center will be completed sometime in September, it now appears. The network cabling has been installed, and AirFiber is scheduled to install in September. The reconstruction is adding 9,000 square feet plus renovations throughout the original center on East Holding Avenue. There will be a new entrance to the building, an expanded parking lot and a new parking lot entrance on the extension of Brooks Street which has finally connected Elm Avenue to East Holding. Among the new features will be an addition to the exercise room, a new roof and a new multipurpose room. Focus Design Builders has the $3.9 million contract and the target date for completion is May 1, 2019. Focus Design won the contract because it promised to complete the work within 269 days – nine months – when the other bidders’ numbers were 300 to 365 days. The

The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a forum and a meet and greet for the seven candidates running for the three seats on the Wake Forest Town Board. The event will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre. It is free and open to the public. Each candidate will give a short presentation. We will then have a moderated question and answer period after which the candidates will go to their assigned tables and voter will circulate, speaking to candidates. * * * * Volunteers are needed to help run our golf tournament on October 1. Shifts are available from 7:45 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Contact Carol Fekaris via email or at (919) 556-1519 option 4. A few spaces remain for the Wake Forest Chamber Golf Tournament on October 1 at Heritage Golf Club presented by Hartsfield

You can refresh your driving skills with AARP’s Smart Driver Safety Course that will be held Monday, Oct. 21, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Northern Regional Center on East Holding Avenue. It is a classroom course, and the cost is $15 for AARP members, $20 for nonmembers. Registration is required; Call the Northern Wake Senior Center at 919-554-4111. * * * * Thursday, Nov. 7, the center will mark the day with its annual Veterans Celebration and the senior center’s anniversary. You are encouraged to sign up early. The Northern Wake Senior Center Quilting Group has made a beautiful queen-sized quilt that will be raffled off at the Nov. 7 celebration. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. Stop by the senior center to purchase tickets or check with our instructors. You do not need to be present to win. * * * * All Senior Center

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Oct. 5, in the employee parking lot along South Taylor Street behind Wake Forest Town Hall. Local farmers and artisans will have meats, seasonal vegetables, bread, baked good and other local wares for sale. See the market’s Facebook page for information about the vendors and sign up for a weekly notice about the offerings that Saturday. Remember the Wake Forest Farmers Market is unusual in that it is owned by the farmers who sell their wares there. *Monday Night Bingo at The Factory is hosted by the Wake Forest Kiwanis Club in the Mill Room from 7 to 9:30 p.m. every Monday night. All profits support the club’s projects for children. Visit www.wakeforestbingo.com for more information. *Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry at 149 East Holding Avenue is now open from 9 to 11 a.m. every third