SALISBURY — Downtown Salisbury Inc. will host the Ring in Spring event on March 26 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Gateway Park, which is at the intersection of Depot and Innes streets.

Crafts, hayrides, snacks and a professional photo with the Easter bunny are included for free.

Photos with the Easter bunny will be posted to the Downtown Salisbury Inc. Facebook page within the next few days of the event for downloading and printing.

Rowan Growth Partners names three to board of directors

SALISBURY — Rowan Growth Partners, the nonprofit corporation that serves as a fundraising arm of the Rowan Economic Development Council, has named its board of directors for 2022.

New members include Hexagon Agility Director of Operations Steve Engstrom, Daimler Truck Plant Manager Erik Johnson and Salisbury Post Publisher John Carr.

New officers for Rowan Growth Partners have also been set. Bryan Overcash, co-founder of Global Location Services, will serve as the chair. Denise Hallett, manager of government and business relations for Vulcan Materials, will act as vice chair. Pete Teague, special assistant to the president at Livingstone College, will serve as secretary/treasurer. Stephen Kidd is the organization’s immediate past chair.

Cannon Ballers unveil promotional schedule for upcoming 2022 season

KANNAPOLIS — The Cannon Ballers will officially take the field and welcome minor league baseball back to Kannapolis on April 8 at 7 p.m. against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

The night will begin with a giveaway followed by a post-game fireworks show. Opening weekend continues with another fireworks display following the game on Saturday, the next day before ending on Sunday with “Bark in the Park” and post-game “Kids Run the Bases.”

Paying tribute to team history, the Cannon Ballers will wear throwback jerseys and take the field as the Piedmont Boll Weevils four times throughout the 2022 season. The team will also be introducing “Super Splash Days” featuring water-themed elements.

The league will introduce Jurassic Ballpark Dinosaur Day and Marvel’s Defender of the Diamond, where the team will wear Captain Marvel inspired jerseys for the first time. Focusing on the local community, the schedule also features Education Day, Camp Day and a series of dates welcoming Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Faith Night groups and First Responders.

Nightly promotions will also highlight the daily activities taking place at Atrium Health Ballpark. New for the 2022 season is the introduction of $2 Tuesdays which feature a variety of discounted ballpark favorites such as hot dogs, sodas, popcorn, peanuts and many others. The schedule also includes the return of popular Thirsty Thursdays.

The 2022 schedule also includes a wide variety of premium giveaways for fans of all ages.

The first opportunity to purchase individual game tickets will be on March 12 at 10 a.m. at the F&M Box Office, online at kcballers.com, or by phone at 704-932-3267. Season tickets, 10 game mini-plans and group tickets are on sale now.

More promotional updates and announcements will be released as the 2022 season approaches.

Food trucks, karaoke coming to The Konnected Entertainment and Wellness Center

SALISBURY — The Konnected Foundation will be hosting Food Truck and Karaoke at 1625 N US Highway 29 in Salisbury every Friday night at 6 p.m. starting March 11.

The event offers free admission. Proceeds from every night will go toward the Konnected’s youth programs. For vending inquiries, call 704-965-3434.

The foundation will also be hosting a pep rally hosted by B-MO at North Rowan High School on March 4 at 2 p.m. and Salisbury High School on March 11 at 2 p.m. with giveaways and a performance by DJ T.O.P. at each school. For more information, call 704-640-5131.

Rowan EDC adds additional website data tool focusing on quality of life

SALISBURY — The Rowan EDC has added another Localintel data tool to its website, this time focusing on quality of life on its Live in Rowan page.

Through this tool, current and prospective Rowan County residents start by selecting a profile that best matches their description, ranging from raising a family to remote workers to active retirees.

After selecting a profile, users are able to explore Rowan County offerings that are likely to be applicable in their lives. Some examples of selections include make your house a home, embrace an active lifestyle, maintain your health and access the world. Clicking each of those brings up a plethora of local options relevant to the category.

“This tool fits in perfectly with our upcoming talent attraction campaign, as it allows prospective residents to envision themselves as part of Rowan County and learn about the offerings in each community,” Jay Garneau, Rowan EDC marketing and communications manager said in a news release. “It can be also equally useful for current residents to learn more about businesses or locations they haven’t necessarily explored yet.”

Other Localintel tools are located on Rowan EDC’s Strategic Location and Workforce pages.

Delta Dental Foundation awards grant to Rowan County Public Health

SALISBURY — Rowan County Public Health was one of 20 organizations to receive a mini-grant from the Delta Dental Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of North Carolina.

This year, the 20 grant recipients span 37 North Carolina counties. In total, $87,120 in funding was dispersed.

Rowan County was awarded $5,000 that will be used in its Smile Center clinic to provide pre-natal dental care.

This is the program’s largest year of giving to date, after an increase in both need and health care disparities over the last year. In North Carolina, 15.3% of kindergarten students already have untreated tooth decay. Through the Smiles for Kids program, the foundation strives to educate the public on the importance of preventative oral health care and to help fund initiatives and programs designed to promote children’s oral health, especially to those in systemically disadvantaged areas. The program supports safety net dental clinics and North Carolina nonprofits, which provide critical dental services and education to local residents.

“It is our hope that this year’s grants will help provide more access to dental care and dental health education for children who may not otherwise have it, allowing them to show up to school—in person or virtually—healthy and ready to learn. Because Delta Dental believes that everyone deserves a healthy smile,” Curt Ladig, president and CEO of Delta Dental of North Carolina, said in a news release.

In considering grants, the foundation evaluates each application on its own merits. It considers the programs in which the organization is engaged, the constituencies it serves, the services it offers, its accountability and its fundraising practices, and the level of local community support it attracts.

To view the full list of this year’s grant recipients, visit deltadentalnc.com.