While the COVID-19 pandemic has created an abundance of hardship and concern for residents, a group of Pilot Mountain community supporters has stepped up to form an effort which organizers hope will continue to produce positive benefits even after threat from the coronavirus has faded.
According to Pilot Mountain Mayor Evan Cockerham, the endeavor has been dubbed #PilotStrong and is described as an effort to support one another and lift the small town and surrounding community as it deals with COVID-19. The #PilotStrong motto is Strong Today, Stronger Tomorrow, Strongest Together.
“I think (our motto) embodies what we are trying to do, as we pull our grassroots volunteers, town resources, local businesses and faith and non-profit organizations together,” Cockerham said,
Several early projects have focused on supporting Pilot Mountain’s small business community as it has struggled with the effects of COVID-19 and statewide stay-at-home orders. An early effort was the Pilot Passport program, using a bingo-styled card and incentives to encourage local residents to use the take-out services of local restaurants. The program was a joint venture of the Town of Pilot Mountain, Main Street Coordinating Committee, Pilot Mountain Tourism Development Authority and Pilot Mountain Unites.
“We did this as a way of encouraging community involvement in supporting our local businesses that are trying to stay open while this is going on,” #PilotStrong representative Christy Craig said.
Cockerham noted that local resident Vince Hancock gets credit for coming up with the concept.
According to Craig, in its continuing search for ways to offer community support, the group has temporary placed distance markers each ¼ mile along Main Street as a way of encouraging those who are regularly walking for exercise.
In addition to a variety of community and civic non-profit organizations, Pilot Mountain businesses are also pitching in.
“At this time specifically, I have asked our citizens to show they are PilotStrong by supporting local businesses and for local businesses to show their strengths by supporting the effort to fight COVID-19,” Cockerham said. “We’ve seen that call answered in so many ways – like Xtreme Marketing producing face shields and social distancing kits for local businesses, Gitman Brothers using their clothing manufacturing capacity for masks and Cousin Gary’s restaurant feeding healthcare workers. Hilda’s Place has teamed up with the National Association of University Women to serve meals to seniors. And the list goes on.”
Other group highlights include a joint effort by the Pilot Mountain Civic Club and Pilot Mountain Unites to build and provide boxes of food for area families through the school lunch program. The two groups collectively provided more than $3,000 and volunteer time toward the project.
Cockerham also mentioned the Pilot Mountain Outreach Center for its work in providing food as needed to area families and the Town of Pilot Mountain for providing services and information throughout the pandemic.
“Our community was founded on and has been shaped by the work of groups like these” noted, Jenny Kindy, Main Street Coordinator for the Town of Pilot Mountain. ”They are key to what makes Pilot Mountain feel like home. They are the reason our town is known as a caring community.”
“We envision this as something that will continue beyond COVID-19 and be just as important for a strong recovery,” Cockerham said. “Community involvement is extremely high in Pilot Mountain, especially when you include not just town-sponsored activities, but civic club, religious organizations, youth programs, scouts, library programs and all other volunteer activities. My vision for Pilot Strong is a banner to unite all of those organizations behind the over-arching premise – to support one another in times of need, promote inclusion and build stronger small businesses through community partnerships.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com