Making the most of a tragic situation, that’s how Rooster Walk came about.

The Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival was created in memory of two of our best childhood friends who passed away while still in their 20s: Edwin “the Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank. This festival celebrates life and the notion that you shouldn’t waste a moment of it.

We’re happy to report that the mission has been a great success. We’ve raised more than $100,000 for local and regional charities, with more than half of that going to the “Penn-Shank Memorial Scholarship Fund” at MHS.

Martinsville has been a poster child for this country’s struggle with jobs going overseas and a shrinking middle class. The city has led Virginia in unemployment for more than decade, often with a jobless figure above 15 percent.

But Martinsville is starting to bounce back, thanks in part to strong grassroots efforts from a wide range of devoted citizens. Rooster Walk is being embraced for its tourism and quality of life values, playing a small but growing role in the area’s social fabric. … And the folks organizing this shindig couldn’t be prouder.