NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 23, 2002


CARY KWANZAA: LOOK BACK TO THE FUTURE

CARY, NC – The eighth annual Cary Kwanzaa celebration will take place on Friday , December 27th from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bond Park Community Center in Bond Park at 801 High House Road. The theme of this year’s celebration is "Look Back…to the Future." The celebration includes fun for the whole family with an ethnic food and vendor market and craft activities for children. This event is an opportunity to experience a celebration that honors African-American people and their culture. The program is free and open to the public.

Kwanzaa is a community cultural celebration that highlights African-American heritage and family through seven values - unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. This year’s celebration features Jamrock performing exciting reggae music, Djembe Fire! and Collage offering African traditional dance, a spoken word performance by Neva Bowden and guest speaker Val Atkinson of FOXY 107/104's "Connections." Other activities include cultural cuisine and vendors, plus Jack and Jill's Children's Village with hands-on arts and crafts.


Schedule of Activities

1-1:30 p.m.

Jamrock

1:30-2:10 p.m.

Procession
1st Dance - Djembe Fire!
Welcome – KarynThomas0
Libation - Lester Thomas
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" - Rod Oliver Hughes & Kids

2:10-2:30 p.m.

Spoken Word Neva Bowden

2:30-2:45 p.m.

Gospel Music

2:45-3 p.m.

Harambee Circle

3-3:45 p.m.

Jamrock

4-4:30 p.m.

Collage Dance Company

4:30-5 p.m.

Val Atkinson

5-5:30 p.m.

Candlelighting and Proclamation

5:30-6 p.m.

Djembe Fire!

The Town of Cary co-sponsors the Kwanzaa Celebration through the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department with The Ujima Group, Inc., a non-profit group that promotes cultural diversity through educational programs and the arts. For more information, please call (919) 469-4061 or visit the Town’s website at www.townofcary.org.

###

PRIMARY CONTACTS:

Darrell Stover, Cultural Arts Program Specialist, (919) 462-3963
Meredith Bridgers, Recreation Projects Specialist, (919) 462-3960
Bill Coleman, Town Manager, (919) 469-4002
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951