For a first time event, the Southern Roots Family and Friends Community Day was a huge success. The all-day event was held on Saturday, June 22 in Chinquapin.
Founders Ykeisha Parker and Nick Chasten created the event as a way to bring the community together for a day of fun, and there was plenty of it. The community day was from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Chinquapin Recreation Center and included things for all ages. There were bounce houses and ice cream trucks for the youth to enjoy. For the adults, there were vendor tables with information from community organizations and many others for shopping. There were also several places to eat, some for free and some at a small cost.
During the event there was also a BBQ cook-off where locals could show-off their grilling skills. Contestants paid $30 and entered their grilled chicken and/or ribs, and the judges ranked the cooks by taste, appearance, and texture. The first place winner was Kison Miller who won a trophy and a $100 gift card. The second place winner was Adrian Lesane who won a Southern Roots apron and a $50 gift card.
Next up was the audio competition. Motorcyclists could enter this contest by paying a $10 fee. There were four separate audio competition classes: 6 speakers anything goes, 8-10 speaker anything goes, 12 speakers and up anything goes, 4 speakers stock bags. They had the opportunity to play songs during their allotted time slot and they were judged on clarity, loudness, bass, and other criteria. This was a fan favorite at the event as the crowds gathered from around the venue to see the competition.
Once the event was over everyone migrated to Chinquapin Elementary School for the highly anticipated All-Star Classic that featured past high school stars from across Duplin County. Many of them moved on to play collegiate basketball and some even made it to the professional level like one household name, JJ Miller.
“Simply put, there is no place like home. The atmosphere was full of positive energy and excitement enveloped in love from family and community. It’s a feeling unique to Duplin County and it will always be cherished by me,” stated Miller, a former collegiate and professional basketball player.
The sold out basketball game had an estimated attendance of over 400 people. There were so many people, attendees were forced to stand against the wall and sit on the stage to see the game.
Bringing people together was not the only goal. The main goal was to raise money for scholarships to support local students that want to continue their education. By the end of the event the organization had raised over $5,000, and four students from Duplin County received scholarships at the end of the game. The recipients were Early College graduates Alana Harper and Taekwon Wright, and Wallace-Rose Hill graduates Zaniya Boney and Jaden Pickett. Each graduate received $1,000 each.
“I think the event turned out better than I expected, especially with the amount of people that showed up and supported us. I felt great seeing all of the love and great vibes from the surrounding counties. I also loved being able to come together and have a good time for a great occasion,” stated Southern Roots Founder Ykeisha Parker.
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