Story by Lindsey Chester, photos courtesy of the Miracle League
Cary, NC- The Miracle League of the Triangle has been helping kids with disabilities enjoy the game of baseball for 5 years. They provide a service not just for those youngsters, but for all the volunteers in the organization who come together to make the league possible. Read more
Cary, NC – This week, we feature 4 homes in prestigious Cary neighborhoods – Weycroft, Preston Village, MacGregor West and Silverton. All are represented by Fonville Morisey Preston on High House Road in Cary.
This week’s homes are open on Sunday Oct 2 from 2-4 pm and range in price from $399,900- $675,000. Contact Lindsey Chester to find out how to get your open house published on CaryCitizen.
Story and photo by Leslie Huffman
Cary, NC – Dorcas Ministries and Wake Habitat for Humanity ReStore, two well known service organizations in Wake County, will be celebrating a Grand Opening together. This Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. the pair of non-profits take up residence at Cary Plaza, 187 High House Road.
The Dorcas Thrift Shop and Ministries provide emergency financial assistance by paying rent and electric bills for those in need. The Thrift Shop has a food pantry and nutrition services, offers child care assistance, literacy scholarships, and job hunting assistance. And all these services are provided for low-income and needy families right here in Cary.
The revenue generated by the Thrift Shop provides 85% of all the income needed to keep services available to folks in crisis. The Dorcas Thrift Shop generates an annual revenue of almost $600,000 which is reinvested into the neediest members of our community.
“The Dorcas Shop was outgrowing its space in 2008 when the board of directors embarked on a feasibility study and decided to look for a larger property, with the vision to eventually create a non-profit center,” said Howard Manning, Executive Director of Dorcas Ministries, of the bold move.
At the new Cary Plaza Center, the Thrift Shop retail space will double. Within the first year of occupancy, Dorcas forecasts a 25% increase in sales revenue bringing the annual income from the shop to $750,000.
The Habitat Wake ReStore accepts donations of new and used building materials from companies and individuals to sell at discounted prices. The ReStore generates revenue to build new Habitat homes in Wake County.
“In late winter, the Habitat for Humanity of Wake County Executive Director, Kevin Campbell, began conversations with us about the possibility of opening a Habitat ReStore in Cary. The fit was perfect,” said Manning, noting that sometimes people drop off items at Dorcas that are more fitting for Habitat and vice versa. “Now folks will have one-stop drop-off and one-stop shopping.”
The ReStore accepts donations of usable and structurally-sound building materials. All donations are tax-deductible.
The Grand Opening, a public event, will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday with a Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting. During the Grand Opening Celebration, guests who drop off items for resale at either store will be entered into a raffle for prizes.
For links to more than 40 Cary service non-profits, visit the CaryCitizen Non-Profits Page.
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Events on CaryCitizen are sponsored in part by Great Harvest Bread on Maynard Road in Cary.
Story by Lindsey Chester
Cary, NC – If you grew up in the early 70’s you probably remember educational cartoons like “Conjunction Junction”and “A Noun is Person Place or Thing” on ABC’s Saturday morning lineup. These shorts were produced as “School House Rock”. Next month Applause! Cary’s Youth Theatre group is bringing the stage version to the Cary Arts Center Oct 14-16. Read more
Cary, NC- At a ceremony held Sept 15, Kangaroo CEO Terry Marks presented a check to the USO for $2.5 million. The amount far surpassed the company’s wildest expectations. Read more
Story and photos by Hal Goodtree
Cary, NC – Just a short drive from Cary is the wonderful world of Chapel Hill. More like its own republic than a town, some say. Just recently, I discovered the most wonderful rose garden tucked in a park far away from the hubbub of Franklin Street. Read more
Story & Photo by Hal Goodtree
Cary, NC – Thanks to our friend Don Frantz for sharing the news that Cary has been designated a Walk-Friendly Community.
The WFC is a national organization that accredits communities which encourage pedestrian traffic. That is, walking.
Cary is one of only three communities in North Carolina that have earned the certification (the other two are Charlotte and Davidson).
Cary was credited with having a walk-friendly community including:
Celebrate Cary’s newest designation with a walk in one our our many Parks or download the Cary Bike/Hike map.
Story by Lindsey Chester, photos by Karl Fisher
Cary, NC- A year ago, Victoria Bennis was planning her first save a Life Walk. She and her family were recovering from a personal tragedy. Her brother John, a 16 year old Green Hope student had taken his life the previous November. When a second Green Hope boy committed suicide that May, she knew she had to do something to stop what she perceived was becoming an epidemic. Read more
Story and photos by Leslie Huffman
Cary, NC – Need a ride to the airport? How about a night out on the town without the worry of driving? You can get this kind of service many places. A taxi, a limo, or a van service.
But take it a bit further. What if your driver came professionally dressed and picked you or your group up in a brand new hybrid electric vehicle? And this company cost you the same or up to 25% less that the standard car services?
That makes a huge difference to me. It also makes a major difference to hotels and corporate clients who are trying to reduce their carbon footprint while still providing quality professional services.
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States consumes 378 million gallons of gasoline every single day. The environmental costs to all this fossil fuel consumption is staggering.
Also, the vehicles we drive release over 1.7 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, contributing to pollution and global climate change. Each gallon of gasoline burned creates 20 pounds of CO2. That’s about 6 to 9 tons of CO2 each year for a typical vehicle.
A good solution; make better choices. We should bike, walk, take public transportation and use our consumer power to use vehicles that are either hybrid, all electric or use biofuels.
I recently met with Scott Tyler, Vice President of EcoStyle, at the Umstead Hotel in Cary. Scott came here after playing pro baseball and meeting his wife. He spent some years in the hospitality industry, but wanted to start his own business. He came up with a unique service that was missing in the Triangle.
In April this year, Scott and his business partner started the Triangle’s first eco-friendly corporate transport company, EcoStyle. Already they have contracts to handle all the transportation needs of corporate clients like SAS, Dex One and The Umstead Hotel.
“It makes me feel great knowing that people are accepting EcoStyle and truly appreciate the services that we are providing for them,” says Tyler. “When we launched EcoStyle, our goal was not only to start a company that revolutionized the industry, but added value to the surrounding communities.”
In addition to providing low-emission and energy-efficient transportation, Scott says that high standards, excellent service and a clean professional look is mandatory for all their drivers. They will pick you up from any location and take you where you need to go.
“I want people to know that when they call EcoStyle, they will receive a level of service that is unmatched. Our team at EcoStyle will always go above and beyond to fill our clients needs.”
They will also provide transportation to and from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), or Piedmont-Triad International Airport (GSO).
Presently EcoStyle has 4 hybrid vehicles in their fleet with 2 more on order. Looking to the future, they plan to add several all electric vehicles.
If you need something bigger like a bus for 10 or more, Scott will provide one from one of his partner companies. But, to negate the CO2 emissions generated, EcoStyle will then purchase carbon offsets through NC Green Power.
Other “green” initiatives include:
While the corporate office is in Raleigh, most of the cars are staged at The Umstead Hotel. And, because of their exclusive use of EcoStyle’s services, the Umstead even installed several electric car charging stations for their use.
Next time my dinner club group is heading for a night out on the town, or I need airport transportation I think I will give Scott a call. When it comes to saving money, and reducing my environmental impact, it just seems like such a simple choice.