The Galesburg NAACP chapter is holding their annual community cookout on Saturday at Kiwanis Park where food, games, and giveaways will be part of the festivities.
The free event includes yard games, Police K-9 demonstrations, water sprinklers, and face painting, free haircuts, painting a trash can for The Great Trash Can Redux, as well as music.
Vice President of the Galesburg branch of the NAACP Dwight White tells WGIL that the cookout was started to serve the community – focusing on helping get kids ready for going back to school. He said, “So we put this together. We circled it around returning back to school. Backpacks, pencils, paper, crayons… just myriad of the school supplies. We’re putting them in backpacks and we’re giving away as many as we can collect.”
White says he’s the grill master for this year – cooking up burgers veggie burgers, and hot dogs.
He also told WGIL that Galesburg Police and Knox Sheriff’s Departments were volunteering, as was the Galesburg Hospital’s Ambulance Service, the YMCA Solutions Program, and many more. He said that volunteers are always welcome to help assist with set up, running games, or just come out to enjoy the day.
White says later in the month they’ll be holding there gala where community members can dress up and come out to Knox College.
