Wings over the Neuse postponed as Hurricane Florence nears

The board of directors of the CSS Neuse Foundation announced Tuesday that the “Wings Over the Neuse” fundraiser set for Friday has been postponed.

“Hurricane Florence is threatening our area,” said foundation president David Mooring. “The conditions predicted for our area make hosting this event Friday impossible.”

Mooring made clear that the “Wings” event is not cancelled.

“We want everyone to understand that our board will set a new date for ‘Wings’ after we have weathered the storm and had time to access the damage done to our area,” Mooring said. “Many of our board members are active in other community groups, and those groups are likely to be called into action if Florence produces devastation anything near to what Hurricane Matthew did to our area.”

Mooring said he and the board wished to thank each of the 55 sponsors, who are supporting this year’s edition of “Wings Over the Neuse.” This year marks the 10th consecutive year the Neuse Foundation has hosted “Wings.” “We have a strong base of sponsors. We want each of them to know how much we appreciate their generosity in supporting our effects to operate, maintain, and improve the CSS Neuse II experience,” Mooring added.

The CSS Neuse Foundation owns and operates the CSS Neuse II, a full-scale replica of the original Confederate ironclad gunboat. In 2017 nearly 5,500 visitors walked the decks of the Neuse II.

“The Neuse II has been a community effort from the beginning,” Mooring said. “Years after Ted Sampley and Alton Stapleford worked to turn their dream into reality, this community is still supporting efforts to share the history and innovations that occurred during the Civil War.”