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Press release from organizers of the Charles Taylor Christmas Dinner, shared Nov. 4.

Event to also honor current and past soldiers

Former U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, pictured during his time in Congress.
Former U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, pictured during his time in Congress.

ASHEVILLE – The three Republican candidates who have announced a run for North Carolina’s U.S. Senate election in 2014 will headline this year’s annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner.

The dinner will also pay tribute to members of the U.S. Armed Services, both past and present. 2013 marks the 21st year for the popular holiday gathering, which is the largest sit-down political dinner in the state.

N.C. Republican U.S. Senate candidates Greg Brannon, a Cary physician; Mark Harris, pastor of First Baptist Church of Charlotte and president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina; and Thom Tillis, speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, will speak at the annual dinner.

The 21st annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Crown Plaza Resort in Asheville. People who attend a separate, private reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. will get an opportunity to meet and speak with the Senate candidates. Taylor says the annual dinner is an opportunity for candidates to meet with supporters in Western North Carolina.

“This is an opportunity to discuss the many economic and other unique challenges facing the western part of the state with these candidates,” said Taylor. “This year’s event is also an opportunity to pay tribute to the many men and women from Western North Carolina who have served in our nation’s armed forces, because they deserve that recognition, especially given the way some of our veterans were treated by the Administration during the recent government shut-down.”

Former U.S. Rep. Taylor is one of Western North Carolina’s longest-serving congressmen. He represented Western North Carolina in the 11th Congressional District from 1991-2007. For more than two decades, the Taylor Holiday Dinner has given Western North Carolina residents an opportunity to hear from the state’s leading gubernatorial, congressional and presidential candidates.

The U.S. Senate candidates will be joined by N.C 11th District U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, 10th District U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry and many other statewide and local elected Republican leaders.

Tickets for the 21st annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner are $50 per person. Reservations must be made prior to the dinner. Checks should be made out to “Charles Taylor Christmas Dinner” and mailed to: Charles Taylor, PO Box 66, Brevard, NC  28712. For more information please contact Trish Smothers at 828-243-2187 or tasmothers@yahoo.com.

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Angie Newsome

Angie Newsome is the executive director and editor of Carolina Public Press. Contact her at (828) 774-5290 or e-mail her at anewsome@carolinapublicpress.org.

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