Bluegrass and fried fish to benefit Lovelady Fire & Rescue

Lovelady Fire and Rescue, which has provided service to Rutherford College and surrounding unincorporated areas for nearly 70 years, will be moving into a new $4.1 million building before the end of the year.

In the meantime, the community is acting to help the department meet its expenses with a couple of fundraising events.

A bluegrass gospel concert, featuring the award-winning Cockman Family, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Old Rock School in Valdese while on Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. a community fish fry will be held on the Town Hall grounds.

GOSPEL CONCERT

Leading the effort behind the gospel concert are a couple who recently moved to Burke County from the Denver area of Lincoln County — John and Jane Cutchin.

John practiced law in Newton for more than half a century before retiring, and when he and Jane moved to Mineral Springs Mountain, a part of the Lovelady service area, both felt compelled to help their new community in any way they can.

“Fire safety and who is protecting your home should be a priority for everyone,” said John. “And I realize how fortunate we and our neighbors are to have a quality department like Lovelady protecting us.”

The Cutchins have known the Cockman Family for years and “out of the blue we’re organizing this benefit for Lovelady Fire and Rescue,” said Jane.

John explained that the doors to the Old Rock School auditorium will open at 6 p.m. the evening of the concert and that admission will be by donation with no set ticket price.

The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and the Cockman Family is expected to play for about 90 minutes.

“The size of the band will depend upon how many grandchildren show up that night,” John said with a laugh.

The Cockman Family has been performing and recording for more than three decades and are inductees into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.

Hailing from the Foothills of North Carolina, they have developed a distinct bluegrass style that has proven popular across the country.

Band members include John Cockman Sr. on guitar, Caroline Cockman Fisher on lead vocals, John Cockman Jr. on fiddle and bass vocals, Billy Cockman on banjo and tenor vocals, David Cockman on bass, and Ben Cockman on guitar and mandolin and baritone vocals.

Over the years, the family has received numerous awards from bluegrass and gospel bluegrass organizations across the county.

More information about the Cockman Family can be found on their website at cockmanfamily.com.

CONCERT AND FISH FRY

Those who are looking for an easy supper on the evening of Friday, Sept. 18, and to help out Lovelady Fire and Rescue at the same time will find a bargain at the fish fry being held on the Rutherford College Town Hall campus.

The cost for a plate is only $10, and that includes fried flounder, french fries, hushpuppies, slaw, a drink, and dessert. Lovelady and Rescue members will be dishing up the food.

Town Clerk Terra Brieno says the fish fry will begin at 6 p.m. and continue until all the food is sold.

In addition to the fish fry, the evening will include a free concert by the band Low Down South from 7-9 p.m. Anyone attending either event is asked to park next door to Town Hall at Abernethy Memorial United Methodist Church.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Asked about how construction on the department’s new building is coming, Chief Nick Reed first wanted to talk about these fundraisers and the overall support of the community for Lovelady.

“It sometimes surprises me just how strong the support for our department is in this community,” he said. “We’re all really tickled about it and know how lucky we are to have this kind of support.”

Reed says work on the new 15,000 square foot building is proceeding on schedule with the project expected to be completed in the late autumn.

Reed added that a community open house for the new facility will be held a bit later, perhaps early in 2027.

The new building will include a living area for paid staff who are on duty for 24-hour shifts, a large meeting room, a training room, and pits for the maintenance of fire and rescue vehicles.