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BIG STONE GAP – Eighty-six-year-old Laura Jessee’s donations arrive faithfully at Mountain Empire Older Citizens each month, always accompanied by a handwritten letter with her signature. The mailed contributions are to the Emergency Fuel Fund for the Elderly. That program, funded entirely by donations, helps older adults in MEOC’s three-county service area in emergency heating situations. In her letters, Ms. Jessee never fails to mention her continued prayers for those in need.

Mountain Empire Older Citizens’ 45th Annual Walkathon, which raises money for the agency’s Emergency Fuel Fund for the Elderly, is set for Sunday, Aug. 29, at 2 p.m. at Big Stone Gap. Registration will begin at 1 p.m. The 5K walk will start at 2 p.m. at Bullitt Park and proceed along the Greenbelt Trail. A hamburger picnic for participants will follow the event. The fundraising goal is $165,000, and the community’s support is needed to reach it.

Mountain Empire Transit (MET) will launch a new on-demand transportation service in and around the Town of Wise and City of Norton on Monday, June 28. METGo! will be part of the first microtransit services in Virginia. Mountain Empire Transit is one of two public transit systems chosen by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) for the 18-month pilot project; Bay Transit in eastern Virginia is the other system. The project will explore how microtransit technology can improve service efficiency and rider experiences in rural areas.

The 34th annual National Cancer Survivors Day® is Sunday, June 6, 2021. “It’s a day for everyone to join in solidarity with cancer survivors around the world, to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges cancer survivors face because of their disease, and – most importantly – to celebrate life,” according to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation. In honor of this day, two MEOC employees are graciously sharing, in their own words, their poignant stories of cancer survivorship.

Ninety-one-year-old Anna Duncan is uncertain how she would pay for some of her needed medications without assistance from Pharmacy Connect of Southwest Virginia. The free program saves her about $1,500 monthly in prescription medication costs, she said. Duncan, a Lee County resident, is among thousands of individuals who receive free or low-cost prescriptions through Pharmacy Connect each year. The program serves the uninsured and under-insured of all ages in the counties of Lee, Wise, Scott, Dickenson, Buchanan, Tazewell and Russell and the City of Norton.

The 10th Annual Harold Lester Memorial Golf Tournament is set for Friday, June 18, at Lonesome Pine Country Club, Big Stone Gap. Proceeds will support the Harold Lester Memorial Fund of the Mountain Laurel Cancer Support and Resource Center of Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. The Harold Lester Memorial Fund provides direct help to cancer patients throughout the local community who are experiencing unexpected needs due to a cancer diagnosis. The fund was established a decade ago by Harold Lester’s family in his memory after he lost his battle with cancer.

Mountain Empire Older Citizens’ 45th Annual Walkathon, which raises money for its Emergency Fuel Fund for the Elderly, is set for August 29, a change from the event’s traditional spring date. The Walkathon is typically held the first Sunday in May. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic paired with a later-than-usual 2020 Walkathon, which was held virtually, prompted organizers to push the 2021 fundraiser to August. MEOC Emergency Services Director Marsha Craiger said organizers hope for an in-person event this year if pandemic restrictions are lifted by that time.