Families from all over the Delta are invited Saturday to the Greenwood Community Center’s fall festival at St. Francis of Assisi Church.
The gathering will be held from noon to 4 p.m.
Debra Adams, center director, said she has been planning the event since August with Laquita Pitchford, a local business owner who moved back to Greenwood from Chicago last year.
“I want this to show the kids that there is something to do, that there is hope, that we as adults are thinking about them, see them and care about them,” Pitchford said.
“We want them to know there’s more to do than be in the streets,” Adams added.
The festival will include games with prizes, food and a DJ. Adams has been busy making calls, and Pitchford, who originally approached Adams with the idea for the festival, has been working on flyer distribution throughout the Delta.
Planning for the event has involved “a lot of communication and a lot of begging,” Adams and Pitchford agreed, chuckling.
Pitchford is originally from Greenwood but had been running a business in Chicago. She said she moved back because she felt that caring for the youth is her calling.
“She came to me and said, ‘I don’t know where to start,’” Adams said. “She wanted to do something for the kids and youth, so we said, ‘Fall festival,’ and the rest is history. She just wanted to give back.”
“I know Greenwood is a small place, but I want children to understand that someone is trying. Somebody sees y’all,” Pitchford said.
Both women hope that parents will also get involved. “Children are our future,” Pitchford said, “If we’re not putting anything into them, we’re not going to get anything out.”
Pitchford’s 12-year-old daughter has been helping plan the event as well. “She’s excited,” Pitchford said.
Adams said that if fewer than 250 people show up, she will be surprised. She praised the community for coming together to help. “It’s for all of the Delta, not just Greenwood and Leflore County,” she said
- Contact Katherine Parker at 662-581-7239 or kparker@gwcommonwealth.com.
