Award-winning photographer Jim Herrington has spent 30 years building two careers: one behind a camera, one in global public health. He taught at UNC's Gillings School of Global Public Health. He served in the Peace Corps. He's also spent years on CFK Africa's board.

On auction are a pair of Jim's stunning photographic works. The first, "Little Bradley Falls," is of a 50-foot, multi-tiered waterfall in the Green River Game Lands near Saluda, North Carolina, reached by a 2-mile roundtrip hike through hardwood forest and wildflowers. Shot at f/2.8, 200mm, 1/8000 sec: fast enough to freeze water mid-fall. The second, "Upper Creek Falls," captures an 80-foot cascade in Pisgah National Forest in Burke County, reached the hard way: steep switchbacks down and back up.

Both are 16"x24," printed on high-gloss aluminum. The color and depth hold for decades, not years. Both are signed by the photographer.

Jim is technically retired now. He picked up his first camera as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, decades before he'd earn a pilot's license for single-engine aircraft and drones. He still flies both. Retirement, for Jim, just meant trading one set of altitudes for another.

Tykevius McDowell is a visual artist with a decade of experience, working in abstract, expressionist, and figurative styles to explore the human experience through emotion and storytelling. His recent work, influenced by African culture and identity, includes a significant project, "Shapes and Stories," honoring local heroes and the artistic legacy of John and James Biggers. In addition to serving on the City of Gastonia's Arts Committee, Ty is an elementary school educator passionate about inspiring creativity in young people. The Seeds We Carry reflects CFK's belief that sustainable change arises from empowered communities. At its center is a deteriorating home in Nairobi's slums, symbolizing the challenging beginnings many youth face, but also illustrating their potential for resilience and leadership. The children portrayed embody hope, with flowers and seeds symbolizing growth and the transformative power of support, demonstrating how today's young leaders can inspire future generations while remaining connected to their roots.

Tykevius McDowell is a visual artist with a decade of experience, working in abstract, expressionist, and figurative styles to explore the human experience through emotion and storytelling. His recent work, influenced by African culture and identity, includes a significant project, "Shapes and Stories," honoring local heroes and the artistic legacy of John and James Biggers. In addition to serving on the City of Gastonia's Arts Committee, Ty is an elementary school educator passionate about inspiring creativity in young people. The Seeds We Carry reflects CFK's belief that sustainable change arises from empowered communities. At its center is a deteriorating home in Nairobi's slums, symbolizing the challenging beginnings many youth face, but also illustrating their potential for resilience and leadership. The children portrayed embody hope, with flowers and seeds symbolizing growth and the transformative power of support, demonstrating how today's young leaders can inspire future generations while remaining connected to their roots.