🌱 How a 19th-century friendship still brings Fayetteville neighbors $25 gifts

Good day Fayetteville! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How a 19th-century friendship still brings Fayetteville neighbors $25 gifts
• How Fayetteville donors turned GivingTuesday into a $4.1 million milestone
• What Fayetteville police are saying about the Cliffdale Road shooting

Also on today's calendar: Got Alopecia Areata? Apply Today. Paid patient study 12/3/25 - 12/15/25 .

Today's riddle: What did the stop sign say to the yield sign? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Monday: Sunny, but colder, with a high of 38 and low of 24 degrees.
• Tuesday: Plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 51, low: 31.
• Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high of 59 and low of 40 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Fayetteville's McAllister Fund to distribute $25 gifts this week (fayobserver.com) — A long-running Fayetteville tradition is back this Friday as the James McAllister Christmas Fund hands out $25 gifts to 165 selected Black residents at First Presbyterian Church on Ann Street. Rooted in a 19th-century friendship between a Black luggage handler and a White attorney, the trust continues its nearly century-old mission of promoting racial harmony and holiday generosity in the city.
   

2. THE KIRBY FILE: Record-Setting GivingTuesday Campaign is a Testament to Late Founder's Vision and Legacy (cityviewnc.com) — Fayetteville donors helped power Cumberland Community Foundation’s latest GivingTuesday campaign to a record $4.1 million, boosted by a $500,000 match from the Fayetteville New Car Dealers Association and other local supporters. The story traces that success back to the late Fayetteville philanthropist Dr. Lucile Hutaff, whose original gift and vision continue to shape community giving today.
   

3. One dead, one injured in Cliffdale Road shooting in Fayetteville (fayobserver.com) — A man was killed and another injured in an early-morning shooting Sunday on the 5000 block of Cliffdale Road, according to Fayetteville police. Investigators say the incident appears isolated and not a threat to the public, but they’re asking anyone with information to contact Detective D. Jackson or submit an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip.
   

4. UNCP awards first doctoral degrees (robesonian.com) — A Fayetteville nurse leader, Jennifer Bigger, is among the first eight graduates to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice from UNC Pembroke, marking the university’s first-ever doctoral degrees. The new DNP program focuses on population health and is already shaping care across rural and underserved communities in southeastern North Carolina, including the broader Fayetteville region.
   

5. FMU celebrates Fall 2025 graduates, awards honorary degrees (fmarion.edu) — A Fayetteville student, Kara Ann Walker, is among the Magna Cum Laude graduates honored at Francis Marion University’s Fall 2025 commencement in Florence, South Carolina. The ceremony recognized 235 graduates, highlighted top academic achievers, and awarded honorary doctorates to media leader P.J. Browning and longtime athletics director Murray Hartzler.
   

📸 Around Fayetteville

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Fayetteville

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Monday December 15

• Got Alopecia Areata? Apply Today. Paid patient study 12/3/25 - 12/15/25
  AMR Clinical - South Strand, SC ,
  5:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Wednesday December 17

• Winter Concert
  Ashley Elementary , 810 Trainer Drive , Fayetteville
  6:00 pm

📣 Fayetteville Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Monday December 15

• Tech Corner - Coats
  Coats Library , 29 E Main St. , Coats
  10:00 am
• Baby Bookworms - Main
  Main Library , 455 McKinney Pkwy. , Lillington
  10:00 am
• Baby Storytime - Benhaven
  Benhaven Library , 2815 Olivia Rd. , Sanford
  10:30 am
• LEGO Club - Dunn
  Dunn Library , 110 E Divine St. , Dunn
  4:00 pm

Tuesday December 16

• Storytime - Dunn
  Dunn Library , 110 E Divine St. , Dunn
  10:00 am
• Pre-K Storytime - Angier
  Angier Library , 28 N Raleigh St. , Angier
  10:30 am
• Storytime - Boone Trail
  Boone Trail Library , 8500 Old US Hwy 421 , Lillington
  11:00 am
• Holiday Open House — MoCoMom
  Vass Area Library , 128 Seaboard St , Vass
  5:30 pm
• Vass Library Book Club
  Vass Area Library , 128 Seaboard St , Vass
  5:30 pm
• Wonderland of Lights 2025
  Aloha Safari Park , 159 Mini Ln , Cameron
  6:00 pm

Wednesday December 17

• Toddler Storytime - Main
  Main Library , 455 McKinney Pkwy. , Lillington
  10:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• There will be a food giveaway today at Strickland Bridge Church of God, 1850 Strickland Bridge Rd.
  From 11-2PM https://neighbors.ring.com/n/VDK2m5XugZ (Nextdoor Remington Fayetteville NC)
• Update: He is back home with his family!
  Does anyone recognize this dog? It has been wandering around Standard Drive and Talus Road (Nextdoor Preston/Runnymeade/SM)

• FAYETTEVILLE NC Dec 13 Climate: High: 62 Low: 27 Precip:" Snow: Missing... (X: iembot_rah)
• Man dead, another injured in Fayetteville shooting on Cliffdale Road, police say... (X: ABC11_WTVD)

• Molly Maid posted a job opening for House Cleaner in Fayetteville. Apply here.
• Cumberland County Schools posted a job opening for 25/26 Custodian I 10 month (56.25%) 408266 in Fayetteville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Fayetteville here.

Ok Fayetteville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know either. They were speaking in sign language.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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