When Amy Ammons Garza was a young girl growing up in the mountains of Western North Carolina in a home without electricity, she and her siblings would listen to the stories on the battery-operated radio.

"I was so happy listening to those stories in the evening like 'Cisco Kid' and the 'Lone Ranger,'"  Garza said.

Garza dreamed of having her own radio show one day where locals would tell stories rich with history and heart.

In September 2008, her dream came true. Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, a non-profit organization founded by Garza and her sister, Doreyl Ammons Cain, began airing "Stories of the Mountain Folk" on Saturdays from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on Sylva's WRGC 680 AM radio.

Featuring original music and short stories, Garza interviews local artists from all walks of life, providing listeners with a way to reconnect with their family and community.

"Our stories are based on traditions handed down over the years," Garza said. "The stories are nature oriented. We could survive, and we didn't know we were poor because we had everything we needed."

Topics discussed on the radio show range from revivals to making white lightening, as well as Cherokee and African-American tales.

"People from other parts of the world want to hear about the history from this area,"Garza said. "We are exposing and discovering how important our families are."

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia invites those interested to tune in and listen as well as share what they'd like to hear on their program.

For more information call 828.631.4587 or visit www.spiritofappalachia.org.