Citywide Community Family Day at Ingalls Harbor brings Decatur community together

DECATUR, Ala. ( WHNT )— On Saturday, people living in Decatur came together for a day of family fun, fellowship, and unity.

The Citywide Community Family Day at Ingalls Harbor in Decatur was designed to lower tensions, spread love and create unity. Some community members believe these will repair the “broken city.”

The Decatur Police shooting that killed Stephen Perkins in September of last year has left the community reeling, leaving many with a desire to drive change and unite their city.

From fun activities, live performances, health resources and voter registration, the free event was multi-layered, offering something for all who attended.

People like Adrianna Tapscott-Bridges, who helped organize the event, say they won’t let their city leaders bring them together.

“A lot of times, we as people feel like we need to depend on elected officials, and for the last year or so, they haven’t shown up,” Tapscott-Bridges said. “We’re gathering together to let the community know that we have to have each other’s back.”

The event also provided a platform for local businesses. Community members like Richard Richardson say the event was needed to show no matter where people come from, each person makes Decatur the city it is.

“We realize sometimes there’s a lot of discord in our communities locally and nationwide, and we’re just grateful for an event like this to bring different cultures, different ethnic backgrounds, people of different economic status together just to show that we’re all one,” Richardson said.

Richardson and his wife Toshia help families through their “Dream Big 4 Life” non-profit organization. Giving back was a large part of the day, with their organization donating free school supplies and hygiene kits to families in need.

Others in Decatur, like Kristine Beard, explained how the city needs to be uplifted, and they’re hoping such events become more frequent.

“Just seeing people get together, seeing everyone smile helps kind of lift everyone up, and just seeing that it is possible, it’s not as dire as some people may think,” Beard said. “We have a lot of work left to do to make sure that it continues that way, but that’s what events like this do.”

To unite Decatur, organizers say they have future plans to make the Citywide Family Fun Day an annual effort.

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