September 24 | The Heart of the Mountains

One year after Hurricane Helene, the mountains still echo with stories of courage, kindness, and community that carried us through the storm.

On Wednesday, September 24, journalists and community members are coming together to share those stories in one powerful evening.

BPR has partnered with NC Local, Buncombe County Special Collections, UNC Asheville and more than a dozen local news organizations on “The Heart of the Mountains,” a live storytelling event.

The Heart of the Mountains will feature stories and conversations from people who were there in the hours, days, and months after Helene — the unsung heroes, the quiet helpers, the voices that remind us what resilience sounds like.

• When: Wednesday, September 24; reception at 5:30 p.m., storytelling at 6:30 p.m.
• Where: The Blue Ridge Room at UNC Asheville (1 University Heights)
• Tickets: The event is free, but please RSVP in advance; space is limited

Event Schedule

• Pre-event reception (5:30-6:30 p.m.): Attendees are invited to meet journalists who have been covering Helene and community partners who are providing opportunities to document and reflect on the last year. Light refreshments provided.
• The Heart of the Mountains (6:30-8:00 pm): Join us in the Blue Ridge Room for an evening of storytelling and interviews highlighting the voices of unsung heroes who made a difference in their communities in the days, weeks and months after Helene.

Want to share your story ahead of the event? Learn more about Buncombe County Special Collections "Come Hell or High Water" Community Memory Project here.

The event is part of UNC Asheville’s Post-Helene Symposium: “Remembering, Rebuilding and Reimagining," taking place on September 24-26. Learn more and register for other events here.

About NC Local

NC Local is a nonprofit news organization that works in partnership with other newsrooms across the state to ensure all North Carolinians have access to accurate, trustworthy and useful information about how issues affect their lives.

The Heart of the Mountains event is produced in partnership with Asheville Citizen-Times, Ashevegas Hot Sheet, The Assembly, Beacon-Tribune, Blue Ridge Public Radio, Buncombe County Special Collections, Carolina Public Press, The Charlotte Observer, Enlace Latino NC, Mountain Xpress, The News & Observer, Smoky Mountain News and UNC Asheville.