VALDOSTA — Scott Park came to life with music and vendors for the Community-Wide Family Reunion Saturday.

The Community-Wide Family Reunion is an annual event where the Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Section of the National Council of Negro Women invites families to come out for a day of activities, said Anya Brown, chairperson for the Community-Wide Family Reunion and secretary for NCNW.

The reunion hosted bounce houses, dancers, line steppers, singers, music and offered free school supplies, marriage and family therapy resources and financial literacy materials for families to utilize, she said.

“Especially today, we have so much going on: Families have work, school, kids going everywhere, and it’s important to that you take time out to be with your family,” Brown said. “A lot of times, fun costs money.

“So, we wanted to provide an opportunity to say: ‘hey, you can bring your family out here. Y’all can have some time to unite, to come together and let your hair down and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to just enjoy each other.’”

Jameka Jenkins and her daughter, Aaliyah King, came out to the family reunion to participate in some of the entertainment.

“(King) is part of the Dancing Divas,” Jenkins said. “So, I came out here to watch her dance.”

After King’s performance, Jenkins said she planned to walk around and check out vendors and maybe “bounce on the little bounce house with kids and have some fun.”

Lisa James came out to the reunion with her two granddaughters and received free school supplies, she said. Her son called her, told her something was going on and she should take the kids to check it out.

James hadn’t planned to come out but said the reunion was nice.

“It’s good that they are doing something for the kids,” she said. “They all need it.” 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.