FAIRVIEW, N.C. (828newsNOW) — To mark the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and the resilience of Western North Carolina in its aftermath, Root Cause Farm, a volunteer-based nonprofit dedicated to combatting community hunger, will hold a gathering to celebrate recovery and the local bonds which define the Fairview farm and its mission.

Honoring community roots

The Root Cause celebration, “From Helene to Here,” will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25 at Cultivated Cocktails Distillery, 161 Charlotte Highway.

“A lot’s happened in a year,” said Ashley Haywood, Root Cause event and fundraising coordinator. “We’re having one of the Helene remembrance events just so that we can celebrate what has happened in the Fairview community, specifically. We were hit pretty hard.”

In the aftermath of Helene, Root Cause was left remarkably unscathed, immediately allowing the farm to serve as a food hub for Fairview.

“The farm stepped up in a lot of ways to bring fresh produce to the community right away. There wasn’t a lot of destruction on the farm. We were able to still harvest even the day after the storm,” Haywood recalled. “It was crazy. Volunteers just showed up at the farm without any way to communicate with one another. We weren’t able to put the word out to volunteers, nothing. People just showed up and it was so heartwarming.”

As the anniversary of the storm approached, Root Cause wanted to thank those that came to the aid of their neighbors.

“What this event is all about on Thursday is celebrating the community, and how we pulled together, and thanking the people that contributed and recognizing the people, the families that were supported,” Haywood explained.

Double in need

Before and after the storm, Root Cause has hosted a weekly Farm Share Market, giving away free produce from 3 to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday at 26 Joe Jenkins Road.

The markets, which also feature cooking demonstrations, live music and kids entertainment, went from serving between 60 and 70 families every week to over 130. The explosion in need has also meant an increase in cost for Root Cause.

“We have a lot to celebrate and we wanted to do that in an event format as well as a fundraiser,” Haywood said. “So, in order for us to sustain that level of support, we need donations and our fundraising goal is $20,000 for the evening.”

From Helene to Here, which is free to attend, will feature live music by Appalachian string band The Saylor Brothers and an opportunity for community members to share their storm stories. The Root Cause story itself will be captured in a video produced by West Ashe Creative, a local short-form documentary team.

“They worked on a storytelling video for us that we’ll be presenting at the event that tells people about the farm, and talks to volunteers that were actually there a few days after the storm and really tell the story of and capture the spirit and soul of Root Cause Farm during that time,” Haywood described.

The video will be screened around 6 p.m. at the event.

“It’s a night of storytelling and looking forward. So, looking back, but also looking forward, and building a stronger and more resilient community through the work that we’re doing,” Haywood said.

Donations for Root Cause will be collected at the gathering and can also be made online at www.rootcausefarm.org/give.