Rural Education Annual Summit shifts focus to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene
After postponing its annual education summit because of the hurricane, the Center for Rural Education will still hold two planned events, both of which will raise funds for relief efforts.
The Center for Rural Education has found a silver lining after a literal dark cloud postponed its annual Rural Education Summit.
Originally scheduled for Oct. 9-11, the summit set to focus on supporting intersectional rural queer identities was postponed until next year because of the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene.
Instead of canceling the scheduled evening entertainment, the summit organizers decided to proceed with a different focus.
“We had planned to host Palmyra at the Lyric [Theatre] and the Downtown Divas at McClain’s [at First and Main] as expressions of rural Queer joy for this year's summit,” said Amy Price Azano, summit organizer, director of the Center for Rural Education, and professor in the School of Education. “Rather than cancel the concert and drag show, we chose to pivot and hold community fundraisers to support those impacted by the hurricane.”
Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26, brought widespread devastation as it moved north, particularly in the Appalachian regions of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Based in the nearby Shenandoah Valley, the folk trio Palmyra decided to move forward with their Oct. 9 concert and donate all proceeds to relief efforts through different organizations local to Southwest Virginia, including the 2024 Southwest Virginia Disaster Relief Fund.
“Over the last few years, Palmyra has toured extensively through Southwest Virginia, Tennessee, and Western North Carolina,” said Sasha Landon, who plays mandolin and guitar in Palmyra. “Seeing the devastation that has directly impacted communities, spaces we’ve visited, and friends we’ve made through our travels has been so heavy on our hearts. It’s been so cool to see communities coming together to rally around mutual aid efforts around the effects of Hurricane Helene, and we’re honored to do our part to help.”
The concert will be at the Lyric Theatre on College Ave. in Blacksburg at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available at the Lyric website or at the door.
“We are so grateful for all the efforts in our region to help our neighbors in need,” said Seth Davis, executive director of the Lyric. “And especially thankful for Virginia Tech’s Center for Rural Education and Palmyra for partnering with us to provide another way for folks to contribute to the relief efforts — and enjoy some great music at the same time.”
Following Wednesday's entertainment, the Downtown Divas will host a premiere drag show at McClain’s at First and Main on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. There will be a $10 entry donation at the door, with all show proceeds going toward relief efforts.
Along with these events, Hokies are assisting with relief efforts in a variety of other ways, including more than a dozen Virginia Tech students assisting with clean-up efforts at nearby Claytor Lake.
VT Engage: The Center for Leadership and Service Learning at Virginia Tech has also curated a webpage with information and links for local efforts.
“Rural communities are resilient, and we are seeing that fierce commitment to neighbors in need throughout our region,”Azano said. “I hope folks will come out and join us for a good time and to do some greater good for the community.”
