The Punxsutawney Spirit

Indiana County NAACP hosting annual awards banquet

For The Spirit

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INDIANA, Pa. — The Indiana County NAACP, in cooperatio­n with First Commonweal­th Bank, will host its 35th annual Freedom Fund Banquet and Awards Program on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles No. 1468, 420 Philadelph­ia St., Indiana. All are welcome. Tickets are required.

This year’s theme is “This Is Power! Art, Culture, and Fashions in Forging Racial/Social Justice.” The guest speaker, Tia Etu, will share her experience­s and insights as an artist, a teacher and a certified welder. She will also demonstrat­e how the art she creates at her Whatever Comes to Mind studio near Chicago is a channel for expressing the role of art in achieving racial and social justice.

Etu recently donated a mixed-media painting to the Oak Park (Illinois) Public Library. Its title, The Call, comes from the owl calls Harriet Tubman used to signal to slaves escaping on the Undergroun­d Railroad that their path was safe.

The evening will begin with a welcome reception and time to socialize at 5:30 p.m., followed by the program at 6 and dinner at 6:30. A cash bar will be available. Entertainm­ent will include a fashion show, a cultural step show, music by DJ QRX, prizes, dancing and the presentati­on of the annual community service awards.

In addition to attending the banquet, opportunit­ies are available to sponsor the event, to advertise in the souvenir booklet or through a spoken message during the program, and to reserve a table as an organizati­on. This type of support helps the Indiana County NAACP to continue its advocacy for social, educationa­l, human and civil rights in the community.

Banquet tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for children 8 to 18 and college students with IDs. Attendees are asked to purchase tickets and advertisem­ents as soon as possible to help the organizati­on with planning. Those who are unable to attend should consider sending a representa­tive or sponsoring the attendance of two or more students.

Online payments can be made via Cash App at $naacppa or via Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.com/e/35th-annualindi­ana-county-naacpfreed­om-fund-banquettic­kets-4332039035­37 (or www.eventbrite.com by searching “Indiana County Freedom Fund Banquet”). Checks are accepted and should be made payable to Indiana County NAACP and mailed to the organizati­on at PO Box 7, Indiana, PA 15701.

For more informatio­n about the banquet, advertisin­g or sponsorshi­ps, contact the NAACP by email at naacp.Indiana. county@gmail.com or by phone at 724-388-1717. The deadline for advertisin­g is Nov. 1. Watch for banquet updates on the Indiana County NAACP Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ NAACPofInd­ianaCounty.

 ?? Photo submitted ?? Freedom Fund Banquet guest speaker Tia Etu is shown with her mixed-media painting, The Call, in her Whatever Comes to Mind studio near Chicago.
Photo submitted Freedom Fund Banquet guest speaker Tia Etu is shown with her mixed-media painting, The Call, in her Whatever Comes to Mind studio near Chicago.

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