Hanging Dog – A Fall Festival was held Saturday complete with food, friends and music.
Hanging Dog General Store planned to hold a Fall Festival, but after the devastation of Hurricane Helene owner Tim Lescalleet wanted to do something to help, so they switched gears and made the festival a relief event. They decided to donate all barbecue proceeds and a portion of other sales to groups providing relief to those in western North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
Starting at 3 p.m., the store began selling plates of smoked ribs, turkey legs and pulled pork sandwiches with baked beans and apples. By the end of the evening, they old 140 plates total, raising nearly $3,000 to be donated. The evening featured music by Woolybooger, a well-known local blues and bluegrass musician.
“We feel blessed that it didn’t hit here. It’s horrible for them, and we felt we needed to do something,” Lescalleet said.
Companies donated items such as drinks and bread to aid the store’s efforts. He said they’re working with a couple of teams to find the best way to donate the money raised by the community.
This isn’t the first time Hanging Dog General Store has been involved with hurricane relief. A few weeks ago, they took lunch over to Western Regional Airport in Andrews to feed volunteers and members of Cherokee Clay Food Alliance, pilots, airport crew and local teams driving in supplies.
Lescalleet’s son, Noah Lescalleet, has been working closely with this group. They helped unload supplies from airplanes and reload the supplies onto the trucks they’ve been using to deliver to areas that need them the most.
Hanging Dog General Store also hosts an annual chili cook-off, with all proceeds donated to the Hanging Dog Fire Department. This event invites members of the community to come out and cook their best chili for the chance to win cash prizes; the event has featured raffles, music and activities for kids.
Lescalleet said needs will continue for months and years to come in western North Carolina. Monetary donations allow the most flexibility for groups that have boots on the ground and can see the needs changing for these communities by the hour.