Correspondent
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Father's First Fruits Kwanzaa Fest brings its music, dance and candle-lighting Tuesday to the Rosemont Unit of the Boys and Girls Club.
The event included performances by the I Am Me Project, an African dance group from Norfolk, as well as line dancing, step dancing, vendors, face painting and other children's activities.
The Golden Fold, a group of young men who attend the Boys and Girls Club, are helping organize the event with mentors, including Virginia Beach resident Seko Varner.
The film, "Hidden Colors 3," will be shown before the event's 6 p.m. kickoff. A professional photographer will take pictures of attendees to post on Facebook, and available for free download.
This is the second consecutive year Kwanzaa has been celebrated at the Boys and Girls Club, Varner said. Locally, the celebration began when Varner's father, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Varner, became pastor of Providence United Church of Christ.
Initially, the event was a Christian celebration held at the church, Seko Varner said. But it later moved to other venues and became a more secular event with a focus on community. After his father's death in 2009, Varner decided to continue the tradition, which is intended as a celebration of community open to people of all faiths and ethnicities.
Varner, who heads Positive Vibes, an event-planning company and bookstore, said the event also serves an educational purpose for the young men who help to organize it.
The young members of the Golden Fold, which is open to all boys from the sixth through the 12th grades, have arranged the activities and performers. They will also greet attendees, lead the candle-lighting ceremony, and set up and clean up after the event.
"This is teaching them leadership," said Varner, "and it is also teaching them to focus on logistics." For C.J. Morris, 14, serving as master of ceremonies will help him hone his public speaking skills. "I will bring attention to the people we will be presenting as performers," said C.J., a Green Run High School student. "Kwanzaa is a celebration of African culture and where we come from."
"Participating in it also teaches us people skills," said Andrew Jackson, 17, a Tallwood High School student, who will also help organize the event.
Jane Bloodworth Rowe, jrowe28@cox.net
http://hamptonroads.com/2014/12/kwanzaa-celebration-coming-va-beach-tuesday
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The Golden Fold Mentor Movement serves 6th - 12th grade youth by providing seminar based Big-Brother-type activities in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Contact: thegoldenfold @ yahoo (dot) com or call 757-932-0177. The Golden Fold is a "Brothers and Others" Community Improvement activity of the Gamma Xi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi and the Gamma Xi Uplift Foundation.
