RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina State Fair will return in October, and WakeMed nurse Morgan Wilder will get to be an honorary new foods judge!
N.C. State Fair Manager Kent Yelverton surprised Wilder at work with her special role on Thursday.
Fair officials decided to honor Wilder after getting an email from her coworker Dr. Michael Soboeiro in March. He said he had an "odd request." After months of long hours on the front lines of the pandemic, the cancelation of the 2020 state fair crushed Wilder. She loves the state fair!
"I want you to know that there is no one in our organization who is more loyal and passionate than Morgan. She has worked incredibly hard during the COVID epidemic, spending the majority of her weekends testing and then vaccinating people for the virus," said Soboeiro. "When it comes to the State Fair, she is constantly urging everyone in the office to go. I suspect she knows the names, locations and menus of the long-time food vendors as well as many of your staff."
Soboeiro asked about a taste-testing event and if Wilder could be included in some way.
It inspired the state fair to start a new program where each year they will invite an Honorary New Foods Judge to come out to the Deep Fried Media Day and be part of selecting the best new fair food.
"We wouldn't be where we are today without all the healthcare workers across the state who have worked tirelessly to see us through to the other side. Morgan embodies the selfless service of the entire healthcare community, and we are honored to have her join us in October as a representative of all her colleagues," Yelverton said.
How much does Wilder love the fair? She brought her son on his first trip to the state fair when he was just two weeks old! Her favorite fair foods from the last few years have been shark on a stick and crack-n-cheese, a savory mix of turkey barbecue, macaroni and cheese, cracklins and barbecue sauce.