by Shawn Nowlin
Two beloved Star City residents were recently honored for their decades of selfless community service.
Last week, Apple Ridge Farm founder Peter Lewis and his wife, Carla, were the recipients of the 2025 Legacy of Leadership Award.
Presented by the United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, the annual distinction “celebrates visionaries whose bold thinking, strategic action and community-rooted service have sparked lasting change across the Roanoke Valley.”
When Peter founded Apple Ridge Farm in 1975, his goal was to help as many young people as possible unlock their full potential. To date, more than 80,000 youth have benefitted from the organization.
“I have been so blessed to do this for as long as I have. God has put some amazing people in my life that have allowed Apple Ridge Farm to grow into what it is today. Without the efforts of so many people, this day would have never happened. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” he said.
For nearly 37 years, Carla preserved Black history and cultivated literacy as a librarian at the Gainsboro Branch. Before retiring in July 2009, she planned and supervised a substantial renovation at the branch which attained the distinction of being listed on both the State and Federal Historic Registry. She was also responsible for renaming the library’s Black History collection in honor of Mrs. Virginia Y. Lee.
Last year, the library’s community room was named in her honor.
Asked what this award means to her, she replied, “One of the greatest feelings in the world is experiencing an underserved youth come in as an extreme introvert and leave as a completely different individual, full of confidence. We have been lucky to experience that feeling thousands of times over.”
Data from UNICEF revealed that youth who are exposed to outdoor experiences at an early age are much more likely to develop social skills and understand the concept of teamwork. In addition to various outdoor activities, Apple Ridge Farm transforms the lives of underserved children through educational and cultural experiences.
Over the years, Peter has won various awards for his efforts – the Margaret Sue Copenhaver Contribution to Education Award, the Environmental Stewardship Award and the Honorary Arts & Cultural Organization Award, just to name a few.
Explaining what makes this one so special, he said, “I am able to do my job because of the strong infrastructure that has been built. When it is all said and done, I hope that my legacy is one where I made sure that young people had unique opportunities to learn, grow and travel. And I surrounded myself with great people to make that happen.”
Graduates of the organization have gone on to attend Ivy League Schools, become elected officials, run nonprofit organizations and serve as healthcare professionals, among many other things.
