Wednesday couldn’t have been a better pre-birthday present for Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance President Kim Simpson — an early announcement the governor’s office chose Roanoke Rapids as one of the cities to participate in the Main Street Program.

Simpson, who celebrated her birthday Thursday, said opportunities are already opening up for the improvements to Roanoke Avenue, learning the group has a chance to apply for up to $250,000 for an energy grant, only available to municipalities in the Main Street Program.

Thursday the city gave the alliance $8,200, its contribution to the program, which will be used along with $30,000 in other contributions to hire a Main Street director. “We’re very, very excited that the city stepped up to the plate,” she said. “We’ve had economic development people sending us emails. It’s been crazy in the last 24 hours.”

The alliance plans to continue the things it was doing before Wednesday’s early announcement Roanoke Rapids was chosen for the program. Its next roast will be Oct. 19 at Timeless Tea at 6:30 p.m. when Mayor D.N. Beale will be on the grill. “We feel like a lot of people will want to be at that,” Simpson said.

Plans are also being made for the Nov. 7 fall festival which will feature a chili cook-off and cornhole tournament. The festival and roasts help to raise money for the alliance to further efforts in the Main Street Program.

That the announcement was made early gives the alliance an extra month to work on details of its Main Street plan before going to an orientation meeting on Oct. 21, Simpson said, and another community meeting will be held in the future.

Simpson said community support is the key to the success of the program. “This is not about Kim and Sherry (alliance Secretary Sherry Wade). This is about what is best for the whole community.”

That just doesn’t mean Roanoke Rapids, she said. It means Halifax County and its towns. “We could not have done this without the community. This is from the Canal Museum to the railroad tracks. We are planning to do something on every block every year. We need the block captains to step forward.”

For more information on how to participate contact Simpson at 252-535-5006.