Community salutes Owen graduates

Rally in the Valley returns to Swannanoa for second year

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 4, 2021

Less than 24 hours before the Owen High School class of 2021 put on caps and gowns to walk across the graduation stage, the community held a parade to celebrate its seniors.

The Rally in the Valley, sponsored by Ingles and held in the parking lot of its Swannanoa location, returned, June 4, for its second year.

The event, organized entirely by volunteers, featured members of the graduating class riding in decorated vehicles, as they pass a crowd of friends, family and supporters of the school. Each car in the parade arrived at a finish line, where their names were announced on a public address system.

Seniors gathered at First Baptist Church of Swannanoa before the Rally to decorate their vehicles with balloons, messages or the college they plan to attend. A festive line of cars and trucks transporting graduates passed slowly in front of the cheering crowd that gathered in the east parking lot of the grocery store.

The Rally in the Valley debuted in 2020 to provide a socially distant way to celebrate graduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers plan to continue the parade for future Owen High School classes.

A photo gallery of the 2021 Rally in the Valley can be found below.