By Carrie Crespo
Wake Weekly Staff Writer

With free food and live entertainment, the town of Wake Forest hosts an annual cookout to give back to residents, plus offer them a chance to meet their neighbors.

The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners proclaimed Sunday, Sept. 21 as Wake Forest Good Neighbor Day. The event is 12:45-5 p.m. at Holding Park, 133 W. Owen Ave.

“The importance of Good Neighbor Day is to meet each other, relate to each other and celebrate our commonalities as opposed to the things we have different,” said Mitchell Lawson, chair of the Human Relations Council, which hosts the event.

After the singing of the national anthem by Sarah Glenn at 12:45 p.m., there will be a variety of entertainment for the rest of the afternoon.

Musical acts include Abundantly Anointed, a jazz quartet made up of students from Franklin Academy; musicians from Progressive Music Center; the Wake Forest Baptist Church Male Chorus; and Solcetfre, a nine-member professional band from Greensboro.

Students from Destiny Dance Studio, two praise dance troupes from Friendship Baptist Church and Irish river dancers will also perform.

Children’s entertainment includes face painting and two storytellers — Trish Miller and Claire Ramsey.
“This is the day the town gives back to citizens,” Lawson said. “It’s a day of entertainment, fellowship and free food, and everyone needs to come out. We try and do something for everybody.”

Along with the entertainment, everyone from town and the surrounding areas is invited for hot dogs and hamburgers.

“Last year we had 800 people,” Lawson said. “This year we are hoping to break 1,000.”

Good Neighbor Day first began in 1996 with the work of the Rev. Enoch Holloway, the Rev. Eugene McCloud and the Rev. Tom Jackson, who established the Human Relations Council and will be honored at this year’s event.
Although Good Neighbor Day didn’t occur for a few years, it was reestablished three years ago, and Lawson hopes it continues to be an annual event.

“The basic theme of Good Neighbor Day should stay the same — celebrating things we have in common,” Lawson said. “The involvement grows as this town continues to grow and continue as institution. It’s all about being a good citizen and a good neighbor and enjoying the day.”