BOONE—Girls on the Run of the High Country will host its fifth annual Luck o’ the Lassie fundraising event March 17 at The Best Cellar in Blowing Rock, located at 203 Sunset Dr., from 6:30-9 p.m.

Tickets are limited to 100 guests and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices in advance are $50 for one ticket or $75 for two. Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $60 for one ticket or $100 for two. All proceeds from the event will support the GOTR program. Tickets may be purchased online at http://gotr.appstate.edu/lucko, by calling the Girls on the Run office at 828-262-7557 or by sending an email to Mary Sheryl Horine at [email protected].

The event features wine tasting, food prepared by The Best Cellar chefs and a live auction. Auction items include Appalachian State University athletic event tickets; custom jewelry designed by Gaines Kiker; Appalachian Arts and Cultural Programming tickets; Deer Valley Racket Club membership; area accommodations and restaurant gift certificates; and many other items. This year’s event will be filmed for an upcoming PBS documentary featuring auctioneer Jesse Miller and his outstanding work to benefit non-profit organizations.

GOTR is sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Institute for Health and Human Services in Appalachian’s College of Health Sciences and is a non-profit prevention program that encourages girls in grades 3 through 8 to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles. The 12-week program operates in Watauga, Ashe, Avery, Alleghany and Wilkes counties. Its curriculum and activities address girls’ physical, emotional and social well-being and culminates in a 5K run that the girls train for. Local organizers believe the program is important in order for girls to resist peer pressure as they enter middle school and high school. Over 60 percent of the girls receive financial aid to participate.

Learn more about Girls on the Run International at http://www.girlsontherun.org.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.