Last Updated on September 2, 2025 3:05 pm
“The opposite of cheap hope is pessimism, but the opposite of deep hope is despair, which leads to passivity. Hope, in its deeper sense, does not require a positive outlook. It requires a choice to keep moving toward a better way and a better world. So, it is entirely possible to feel pessimistic about the direction things are going yet live from deep hope.” David LaMotte, 2024
On Saturday, September 27, 2025, our community will gather to mark one year since Hurricane Helene forever changed our landscape and our lives. Rather than simply remembering loss, we’re choosing to cultivate what singer-songwriter and international speaker David LaMotte calls ‘deep hope’—hope that doesn’t ignore pain but transforms it into purposeful action.
In the months following Helene, our community has shown remarkable resilience and drawn closer together in unexpected ways. This anniversary event grew from conversations within our faith communities and recovery organizations about the need to process our collective trauma while acknowledging our strengths as we look to renewal. Below you will find the individual events—all to take place in Downtown Boone. Events are free and considered a gift to the community. David LaMotte’s keynote and his evening concert will be held in the Appalachian Theatre. The free tickets for both events can be reserved at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country website.
Event Schedule – Saturday, September 27
- 11:00-2:00 PM: “Stories from the Storm” Community Quilting Project (FARM Café). Help preserve history through a traveling quilt exhibit by sharing personal hurricane experiences. Prior registration required: See registration link below.
- 2:00-6:00 PM: Community Resource Fair. The Community Resource Fair will include recovery groups focused on physical recovery needs as well as trauma support and interactive mental health resources. (Jones House Lawn) The resource fair will be relocated to the Community Room at the Appalachian Theatre in the event of inclement weather.
- 3:00-4:00 PM: David LaMotte Keynote “Western North Carolina: Waiting with Deep Hope” (Appalachian Theatre)
- 4:30-6:00 PM: Poetry Readings with Hilda Downer, High Country poet laureate, featuring poets who published in Hilda’s soon-to-be-released storm anthology: “Had I a Dove” (Jones House)
- 7:00-9:00 PM: David LaMotte in Concert with special guests—cast members from this summer's Lees-McRae musical 1940: A New Musical (Appalachian Theatre)
Additional programming: Appalachian State University welcomes you to gather for a community appreciation meal on Tuesday, September 30th, at Central Dining Hall anytime from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Please visit the Watauga Long-Term Recovery website here for more information! www.wataugaltrg.org
Learn More About David LaMotte
The following resources offer insight into David’s philosophy of deep hope and his connection to our region’s story:
- “Advent in Western North Carolina: Waiting with Deep Hope” by David LaMotte: https://faithandleadership.com/advent-western-north-carolina-waiting-deep-hope
- “Boots and Gloves” song and music samples available on YouTube (https://youtu.be/ppFvBha0DeQ?si=IKgXY8vaZCzyRz01 and https://youtu.be/OswWz7lHy5E?si=igfVBalEiSKz4-_D)
- Recent Editor’s Pick TEDx talk available online (https://youtu.be/UDHrgQ5NmI4?si=wtBIUgySkF9PUIiu)
We invite all community members regardless of faith tradition or organizational affiliation to join us in this day of remembrance, resource-sharing, and renewal. Together, we’ll practice what David LaMotte calls ‘deep hope’—acknowledging our pain while choosing to move toward healing and positive change.
**Registration & Tickets:
“Stories of the Storm” event registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdejv5gEXGQ4D5HFtQlCG4n3amKm4xf1nPFhKDhpxTISVAGmw/viewform
Appalachian Theatre Hope After Helene free tickets: https://www.apptheatre.org/events-and-tickets
