Oasis Shriners celebration coming to Maggie Valley
The Oasis Shriners will be taking over Maggie Valley next weekend as they hold their Spring Ceremonial at the festival grounds.
An estimated 500 Oasis Shriner members and 43 Shriner candidates and their families will be on hand next weekend for the annual induction event. With its headquarters in Charlotte, the Oasis Shriners are a nonprofit organization in an international fraternity of 300,000 members throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Republic of Panama. Their mission is simple — helping children.
The Shriners accomplish their goal through the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children. Western North Carolina is fortunate to be less than two hours away from the Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, where many children receive specialized care. It is one of 22 Shriner hospitals throughout the country.
Each year, Shriner groups hold a spring ceremonial to induct new members who will help to continue support of their hospitals, and this year the Oasis Shriners have chosen Maggie Valley as their destination.
“We are anticipating quite a crowd that weekend to help us welcome 40 plus and still counting new Shriners to continue supporting Shriners Hospitals for Children,” said Wendy Rosales, hospital/membership coordinator for Oasis Shriners.
Seven-month-old Coy Webb of Waynesville will be a special guest at the Ladies Breakfast event at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 5, at Maggie Valley Club. Webb is just one of the many children that is receiving care at the Greenville Shriners Hospital. He was born with clubfeet and is receiving treatment at the Shriners Hospital in Greenville.
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The Shriners have also provided transportation services to the Webb family during the process. Coy had his first surgery in April and the results are looking promising.
“Oasis Shriners has and continues to personally help this family get to SHC-Greenville for Coy’s treatment plan,” Rosales said. “Our Hospital Tripster unit has definitely stepped up and has driven Coy and his mom to SHC-Greenville about twice a week — sometimes three — for the past four months.”
The town of Maggie Valley is excited to host the group and hotel rooms will be hard to come by next weekend. It’s been 10 years since the Shriners have held their ceremonial in Maggie Valley. The festivities kick off Thursday, June 4, with an Oasis welcome at Smoky Falls Lodge. Current members and new members will be playing golf at Maggie Valley Club and dining at various restaurants in town, but the big event will be the Shriners Parade at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 5. While Shriners are first known for their hospitals, their colorful and lively parades are a close second. The parade, which is open to the public, will begin at the Maggie Valley Town Hall and conclude at The Stompin’ Ground.
Spring Ceremonial schedule of events
June 4
• 8-11 p.m. — Oasis Hospitality at Smoky Falls Inn
June 5
• 8 a.m. — Golfing at Maggie Valley Club
• 5 p.m. — Shrine Club ad Unit Hospitality Crawl with shuttle service (various locations)
June 6
• 7-8:30 a.m. — New candidate registration at town hall pavilion
• 8:30 a.m. — Oasis Band prelude, new candidate assembly at Stompin’ Ground
• 10 a.m. — Ladies Breakfast at Maggie Valley Inn
• Noon — Lunch at town hall pavilion
• 1 p.m. — Parade lineup at town hall
• 2 p.m. — Parade begins at town hall and will end at Stompin’ Ground
• 3 p.m. — Oasis Hospitality at Smoky Falls Lodge
• 8 p.m. — Potentate’s Dance at town hall pavilion with the band Reckless.
June 7
• 9:30 a.m. — Worship service at town hall pavilion
