As the NAACP, founded in 1909, approaches its hundredth anniversary, the organization’s Ellenville chapter plans to host a series of events aimed at publicizing the group’s mission and activities. The first of these, a Field Day celebration, unfolded on July 21 at Berme Road Park.

Twenty-three booths representing an amalgam of vendors and organizations, some affiliated with the NAACP and others not, enlivened the scene. Among those present were food and other product vendors, health care organizations, nonprofit groups, and religious organizations.

“We’ve gotten a lot of vendor participation,” said Demetra Barnes, who oversees the local chapter’s fund-raising efforts and coordinated the Field Day celebration. “We began planning for this event three months ago,” she said, “and in the future we plan to make it bigger.”

“I hope the community will come out and support (the vendors),” added Maude Bruce, president of the chapter, which has approximately 170 active members. The chapter hopes to make the Field Day an annual event, she added.

The NAACP itself hosted a booth that welcomed attendees to the first-ever Field Day celebration and provided free literature, calendars listing upcoming events, and membership information. Gift certificates donated by local businesses were raffled off, and at noon local radio station WELV began coverage of the event, which had begun at 9 a.m.

“We want to raise community awareness” of the NAACP’s agenda and programs, said the Ellenville chapter’s membership chairperson, Mary Bruce. “We want to get more people involved and get feedback on events and on the organization.”

Upcoming events hosted by the Ellenville chapter of the NAACP include a “Back to School, Stay in School” rally, on August 18. That event, which will also be held at Berme Road Park, will offer free hamburgers, hotdogs, and school supplies to students who attend. The NAACP’s 39th annual membership banquet will take place at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa on November 23.

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