Celebrating diversity
Rural Action Centre hosting Neighbour to Neighbour festivity
The Rural Action Centre Alberton will be celebrating the various cultures in West Prince at a Neighbour to Neighbour Festivity they’ve planned for Woodstock Saturday.
There will be food and entertainment for sharing, and good, old-fashioned socializing, during a Neighbour to Neighbour Festivity the Rural Action Centre-Alberton is organizing. The event, open to everyone, will be held at Hernewood Intermediate School from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10.
“It has been an ever-evolving event,” said the Rural Action Centre’s co-ordinator for the festivity, Sean Doyle. Planning got underway last summer for a welcoming event for the region’s Filipino workers, but Doyle said it has since morphed into an event that welcomes newcomers and celebrates all of the cultures in the area.
Church and community groups have helped with the planning, Go!West is organizing games for kids and Transportation West is offering free transportation for anyone needing a ride.
The various cultures will be celebrated through food, music, dance, displays and demonstrations.
Doyle extends an invitation to players and fans attending the P.E.I. Pond Hockey Championship across the road at Mill River Resort that day to drop in on the festivities between games.
Maxine Rennie, executive director of the Rural Action Centre, compares the event to a neighbourhood party. Everyone’s welcome and, while there is no need for those attending to register in advance, she said they would like to hear from anyone who is supplying food for sharing or interested in showcasing any aspect of their culture. That, she said, is just so organizers can help with preparations.
Musical entertainers include Hey Cuzzins Drum Group, Danalee Lynch-Veinotte, Brenda Lee Perry and a piano student. Among the food items confirmed are Filipino pastries, a chowder prepared by Fr. Brendan Gallant, baked potatoes and toppings from WP Griffin Inc., and Polish pierogies from Carol Rybinski and the Tyne Valley Tea and Company. P.E.I. Lieutenant-Governor Antoinette Perry has confirmed she will be attending the celebration of the region’s diversity.