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🧭 Here’s what’s in today’s issue:
• 🧠 Trivia Challenge: Spotlight Hook
• 📰 News: Program Turns Unused School Cafeteria Food Into Help for Students in Need
• 📰 News: How a $100 Ticket Could Win You a $735K Dream Home in the Triangle
• ⚽ Sports: Six NC Courage Standouts Join National Teams
• 😄 Meme of the Day – Just for Laughs
• 🎁 Your gift fuels local fun: Show Your Support
• 📅 Events: Upcoming Events (Top Picks)
👉 Browse the highlights. Scroll or Skip to your favorites.
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Question: In the financial industry, what does the abbreviation IMF stand for?
(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)
Parents across the Triangle often wonder how their teens can build meaningful leadership experience that truly stands out when applying to college.
An upcoming Hum Sub Youth Leadership Summit in Cary is designed to help students begin exploring those opportunities. The event invites students in Grades 8–11 from across the Triangle to learn about leadership, entrepreneurship, and ways young people can start building experiences that colleges value.
Parents are welcome to attend to learn more about opportunities to help their children prepare for college applications. Coming soon: 2 May 2026.
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Program Turns Unused School Cafeteria Food Into Help for Students in Need
A local nonprofit is helping expand a program that fights both student hunger and food waste in Wake County schools.
The Mama Edna Project recently made a financial contribution to sponsor Apex High School’s participation in the SHARE cafeteria program, an initiative run by Toward Zero Waste in partnership with the Wake County Public School System. The program captures unopened and unused food from school meal services and makes it available to students who may need it later in the day.
Through the SHARE program, students can leave or take approved unopened food items during breakfast and lunch. Those items are placed in a centrally located pantry cart or refrigerator where students can access them throughout the school day. The approach allows schools to redirect food that would otherwise be thrown away while ensuring students who miss a meal or need a snack still have access to food.
Program organizers say the initiative aims to reduce the amount of prepackaged food that ends up in landfills while also removing stigma around food access in schools. By making the food available to all students, the program creates a simple and discreet way for anyone to take what they need.
The SHARE program operates with support from several community partners, including Wake County Public Schools, the NC Cooperative Extension Wake County Center, and Wake County Government. Funding has also come from the Wake County Waste Prevention Grant, the City of Raleigh, the Town of Cary’s Non-Profit General Service Grant, and community donors.
With Apex High School now supported through the Mama Edna Project’s contribution, organizers hope the program will continue expanding to more schools across the Triangle.
Community members who want to support the effort can learn more about the program or make a donation online.
Learn more:
https://towardzerowaste.org/share-program/
Donate to support the program:
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/toward-zero-waste-north-carolina/share
What do you think about programs like the SHARE Program Fighting Food Waste in Schools? 🍎?
How a $100 Ticket Could Win You a $735K Dream Home in the Triangle
The 2026 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway will soon return to the Triangle, with ticket sales opening April 23. For $100, participants can enter for a chance to win a newly built home valued at roughly $735,000.
The fundraiser supports St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a Memphis based pediatric treatment and research center that provides care for children with cancer and other serious diseases without billing families for treatment or related expenses.
CG Homes announces the Triangle’s 2026 St. Jude Dream Home in Rolesville’s Peak at Granite Falls Neighborhood. (Rendering by ICG Homes)
This is the second year the event will be held in the region. In its first year in 2025, the giveaway raised just under $927,000 for St. Jude, and Patricia Yarber was selected as the winner.
The 2026 Dream Home is being built by IGC Homes in the Granite Falls neighborhood in Rolesville. In addition to the home prize, ticket buyers will also be entered to win several bonus prizes worth $10,000, including a shopping spree, a Visa gift card, and experience packages for sports and country music fans.
Would You Buy a St. Jude Dream Home Ticket? 🎟️
Six NC Courage Standouts Join National Teams
With no North Carolina Courage match last weekend, the spotlight shifts to the international stage. Six Courage players are representing their countries this April, giving local fans plenty to follow while club play is on pause.
Weekend Highlights:
Manaka Matsukubo heads into Japan’s three-match set against the United States on a hot streak after scoring in each of her first two appearances this season. Japan also comes in flying high after winning the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and outscoring opponents 29-1 across six matches.
Evelyn Ijeh is with Sweden for key 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Denmark and Serbia. Sweden is off to a solid start in group play at 1 win, 1 draw, and every point matters with only the group winner earning an automatic trip to Brazil.
Kailen Sheridan and Carly Wickenheiser are representing Canada in the 2026 FIFA Series in Brazil, where they will face Zambia, South Korea, and Brazil. Sheridan brings serious experience, including 32 clean sheets in 65 caps, and recently starred at the SheBelieves Cup with two shootout saves against Argentina.
Young Courage players are making noise too, with Riley Jackson joining the United States U-23s in Spain and Lauryn Thompson suiting up for England U-19 in European Championship qualifiers. It is another strong sign that the Courage pipeline continues to produce talent for every level of the international game.
Even on an off weekend, Cary still has plenty to cheer for with Courage players taking the hometown pride worldwide.
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Meme of the Day.
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Apr 14 - Apr 20, 2026
🎟️ Upcoming Events (Top Picks)
Outdoor events may be changed due to weather, so click the links to see latest event information. Here are a few ideas for the week, so plan ahead:
• Today: ACC Conference Women’s Tennis Championships (All Day)
• Today: ACC Conference Men’s Tennis Championships (All Day)
• Wednesday: Peter Lamb & The Wolves 5:45PM
• Wednesday: Tai Chi: Downtown Cary Park 6:30PM-7:30PM
• Thursday: 2nd Annual Clay Council Classic 6PM-9PM
• Thursday: Town Council Regular Meeting 6:30PM-8:30PM
• Friday: Spring Bloomers and Birds 8AM-9AM
• Friday: Cary Night Market 5PM-9PM
• Friday: Comedy Show: Alex Velluto and Don Garrett 8PM-10PM
• Saturday: ACC Conference Women’s Tennis Championships (All Day)
• Saturday: ACC Conference Men’s Tennis Championships (All Day)
• Saturday: Cary Farmers Market 8AM-12PM
• Saturday: Fest in the West 11AM-4PM
• Saturday: Good Hope Farm Tour 11:30AM-12:30PM
• Saturday: Children’s Day Festival 1PM-7PM
• Sunday: Soma Breath Energized Breathwork 2PM-3:30PM
• Sunday: Fido Foundations: Dog Obedience 2PM-3PM
• Sunday: Cary Players presents Deathtrap 3PM-5PM
• Monday: Children’s BINGO 4:30PM-6:30PM
But wait! There’s more. To save space in your inbox, we’ve moved the full list of events online — now you can plan ahead: See Full 2-Week Calendar
The Answer to the Cary Spotlight Hook Trivia Question 👇👇👇
A: International Monetary Fund
In the financial industry, the abbreviation IMF stands for the International Monetary Fund. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it is an organization of 190+ countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, and reduce poverty around the world.
Learn more, International Monetary Fund