The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is pleased to introduce an honorary/memorial bench donation opportunity at the new Holding Park Inclusive Playground, 133 W. Owen Ave. The playground opened on March 2. Now, the PRCR Department has designated eight benches within the playground as available for honorary or memorial donor funding. The cost of each bench is $1,000, including installation (by the PRCR Department) and donor inscription. The Honorary/Memorial Bench Donation program offers a unique and meaningful way for residents to honor and remember friends and loved ones, promote their company, recognize a civic group, or commemorate a special event. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/PRCRBenchDonationProgram or email PRCR Maintenance Manager Randy Hoyle at rhoyle@wakeforestnc.gov. #

The Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will host a Cemetery Workshop this Saturday, March 16, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Friendship Chapel Baptist Church “Old Cemetery,” 237 Friendship Chapel Road. Due to limited seating, registration is required by contacting Senior Planner for Historic Preservation Michelle Michael at 919-435-9516 or mmichael@wakeforestnc.gov. The Historic Preservation Commission and Town of Wake Forest received a Historic Preservation Fund Grant to host a series of Historic Preservation workshops. Saturday’s workshop is the first of 2024 and will focus on cemetery preservation, identification of cemeteries, cemetery maintenance and long-term care, removal of vegetation and litter, and maintaining fences and protective barriers. This project has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior and administered by the NC Historic Preservation Office. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department

The Town of Wake Forest and several local veterans’ organizations will resume their monthly flag-raising ceremonies in Town Hall’s Centennial Plaza on Monday, April 1, at 11 a.m. The 52nd Wake Forest Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony will honor David Cooke, who served our nation in the US Marine Corps. Members of Cooke’s family have been invited to participate in the ceremony, which will include patriotic songs, special remarks, a memorial wreath laying, and the ceremonial flag-raising. During the service, the Wake Forest Fire Department Honor Guard will raise the American flag and the U.S. Marine Corps service flag in recognition of the military branch in which Cooke served. Both flags will fly in Centennial Plaza throughout April. Photographs and other remembrances of Cooke will also be displayed in Centennial Plaza during the ceremony, then in the Town Hall lobby through the end of the month. Presented by the Town of Wake Forest and

The Northern Community Food Security Team and Ripe for Revival are providing a mobile grocery store across from the Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., on the second and fourth Thursday of each month (unless otherwise noted) from 3-5 p.m. – rain or shine. Offering fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy from local and regional farmers on a pay-what-you-can scale, the NCFST Mobile Market returns to East Holding Avenue this Thursday, March 14. As a bonus, the mobile market will begin offering a limited selection of canned goods this week. In addition, a representative from Healthy Blue, a Medicaid plan offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, will be onsite Thursday to provide information about Medicaid and Healthy Blue. Open to everyone, NCFST’s pay-what-you-can mobile grocery store makes fresh and local produce, proteins, dairy, eggs, and other food products accessible and affordable to all, regardless of their budget.

The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) and Torchy’s Tacos, 505 Dr. Calvin Jones Hwy., are again joining forces to raise awareness and money for Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC). Area residents are invited to support the cause by visiting Torchy’s Tacos on Monday, March 25, between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. For everyone who either mentions the fundraiser or presents the fundraiser flyer, Torchy’s will donate 15 percent of their food and beverage sales to support Special Olympics. To download the fundraiser flyer, visit https://bit.ly/WFPDSpecialOlympics. The WFPD also accepts SONC donations year-round at https://bit.ly/WFPDSpecialOlympics. All funds raised go to SONC as part of The Law Enforcement Torch Run. For more information, contact Sgt. J. McArthur at 919-554-6150 or jmcarthur@wakeforestnc.gov. SONC is one of the largest Special Olympics programs in the world with nearly 40,000 registered athletes who train and compete in year-round programs in 20 different sports. The mission of Special Olympics is to