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dip dinner that’s been held annually for decades will return this year to the capital city, and a Kanawha County couple has been named Community Champions for the Metro Valley by a regional magazine. Here’s the 411 from municipalities around the region, including Charleston, Clendenin and East Bank.
Dip Dinner: Mark your calendars. The annual Heart and Soul Dip Dinner is back for 2026. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, and will run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Roosevelt Community Center on Charleston’s East End. Organizers trace the history of the dip dinner to a 2006 brainstorming session. “The Board of Directors of the East End Resource Center thought that a 'Dip Dinner' was a way to bring the community together and host a fundraiser,” organizers wrote in a previous press release. “It was decided that the best time to hold this dinner would be in February, about the time people are looking for something to do after the cold winter months.” Dinner attendees purchase tickets for $1, which they exchange for a “dip” or serving of food. Food is provided by local churches, businesses and individuals. Proceeds help support senior meals and other services for older neighbors.
Community Champions: WV Living Magazine has named a Kanawha County couple Community Champions for their ongoing advocacy for the Elk River area. Ken and Cyndi Tawney were recently recognized as part of the magazine’s Best of West Virginia Regional Winners for the Metro Valley area. “This husband–wife duo is championing the Elk River area in big ways,” WV Living editors wrote in a social post announcing the couple’s win. “From Ken Tawney’s work as board president for the Elk River Trail Foundation to Cyndi Tawney’s role as publisher of Elk River Living magazine, they work daily to promote, preserve, and uplift the community they call home in creative and lasting ways.” The Tawneys are also active in the greater Kanawha County region. Both serve on the Board of Directors for 25045: A New Clendenin. Cyndi is an active board member for the Kanawha County Public Library and the Elk River Library Advisory Board, and Ken serves on the board for WV TRAILS.
Summer Rodeo: Summer’s still a few months away, but the upper Kanawha Valley town of East Bank is already making plans for the season. One such plan, mentioned during the town’s recent council meeting and announced on the community’s Facebook page, is a two-day rodeo, scheduled for July 24-25, 2026. The event will take place at Calvert Field, with a showtime of 8 p.m. both days. Admission is $20 per person. Children ages 5 and younger can enter for free. Tickets will be available online and onsite during the event.
