"Of course'

PINEHURST –– Each year Pinehurst Days gets bigger and better, but this year was a little more special than others.  

The three-day festival drew thousands to the small community, with Saturday drawing the biggest crowd due to its loaded schedule of events.  

Brad Kitchen, the president of the Pinehurst/Kingston Lions Club, was thrilled with the turnout for the weekend, hailing everything from the nice weather all the way to people who volunteered their time to make the event happen.  

“The whole thing was just fantastic,” Kitchen said. “The weatherman smiled on us, our dinner and breakfast had great turnouts. The Lions Club members turned out in force to man the event. It was a wonderful weekend.” 

The breakfast in particular stood out to Kitchen, who said it was one of the biggest they’ve ever had.  

The event was themed around saluting local volunteers, and Jennifer Sieg was named Volunteer of the Year. This award also came with the honor of being the Grand Marshall of the parade.  

Miranda Elam, who, alongside her husband Nick, organizes the Burn Outs, was impressed with how many people came out for their portion of Pinehurst Days.  

“We had a hugely successful event this year,” Elam said. “Well over 1,000 in attendance. It just keeps getting bigger and better. We would like to thank all of our volunteers and competitors. Everything went off without a hitch and we are already looking forward to next year.”  

And while the car show, parade, and Burn Outs were the top draws of the weekend, Pinehurst Days will likely be remembered for an entirely different reason. 

Chad Weeks, a lifetime Burn Out enthusiast and Silver Valley native decided to shoot his shot and asked his girlfriend, Cheyenne Abbott, to marry him.  

In front of more than 1,000 people, Weeks grabbed the microphone and dropped down to one knee.  

The anxious and excited crowd went silent momentarily, but when Abbott tearfully replied, “Of course,” the cheers were deafening.  

The two met at last year’s Burn Outs, so the setting was perfect for Weeks’ plan.  

“I was putting decals on last year’s Burn Out car,” Weeks said. “I told her I appreciated her for going and getting transfer paper. She thought I was a dork.”  

One year later, Weeks knew when and where he wanted to ask Abbott to marry him and was confident in his decision to ask in front of the large crowd, which also included his two daughters.  

“I wasn't nervous at all,” Weeks said. “I did get a little choked up right in the midst of things though. I love her and so do my girls.”  

Elam was elated for the couple. 

“We are so happy for Chad and Cheyenne and feel honored he chose the Burn Outs to propose,” she said.  

    Dawn Wiksten prepares a handful of treats to throw to the crowd during the Pinehurst Days Parade on Saturday morning.
  

    Thousands of people made their way through the classic car show at Pinehurst Days on Saturday.