By Steven Stilt
Organizers of the annual Centralia Juneteenth celebration are gearing up for next month’s festivities and hope to see the local event continue to grow.
Members of the Juneteenth Committee spoke Monday night as part of the Centralia Area Historical Museum’s “Night at the Museum” series. Juneteenth Committee Chair Timothia Reid, Marketing Coordinator Malaya Downey, and Secretary Ellie McClelland spoke on the history and symbolism behind Juneteenth, which honors the end of slavery in the United States.
The committee members also told the audience about the events being planned for Centralia’s Juneteenth celebration, which will take place Friday, June 13th, and Saturday, June 14th, with activities slated to take place in Laura Leake Park and elsewhere in the community. Planned events include a three-on-three basketball tournament, live music, a community worship service, and more.
Organizers say the local event has grown each year since its inception in 2020. The inaugural Centralia Juneteenth raised around $1,000, but according to Downey, last year’s celebration raised more than $20,000.
Proceeds from previous Juneteenth events have gone toward improvements at Laura Leake Park. However, McClelland says organizers are also looking at other ways those funds can be used to benefit the community.
“Right now, we’ve tossed around the idea of putting out a scholarship, or even doing a small business grant or even a teacher development grant. That’s something we have realized in our area — a lot of our members that are on the Juneteenth Committee actually are teachers, and that’s something, that they just don’t have school supplies, and that’s a common issue across America.”
Organizers note that the support of community members and local businesses has been vital as Centralia Juneteenth continues to thrive, and they encouraged citizens to get involved any way they can, including sharing social media posts and volunteering for the event. Those interested in contributing as a volunteer or a sponsor can reach out to the Juneteenth Committee through the “Centralia Juneteenth” page on Facebook or by email at centraliajuneteenth@gmail.com.
