The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The 51st Annual Week of the People celebration was held August 16 in Naaman Williams Park.
On hand were vendors, games and activities for kids, entertainment and free hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as other food.
The day’s feature was the giving out of book bags with school supplies to school children. The supplies were donated by the Franklin Township PBA Local 54 and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, said Percy Sanders, the event’s main coordinator.
Sanders emphasized that the event does not happen in a vacuum.
“We need the support of the community, businesses and community programs,” he said.
Sanders took the reins of the event about 20 years ago, after prior support had fallen off.
“I said how am I going to do that?” he said, noting that he was still suffering the effects of a serious auto accident he suffered decades before.
“The community came together and helped us do some thing,” he said. “Community in unity is our theme.”
“This is our outreach to the community,” said Benjamin Guy, another event coordinator. “Percy got involved and rebranded it.”
“We want to make sure the kids and their families have supportive services when they go back to school,” he said.
“Just being in touch with the comm is what this event is all about,” he said.
The Somerset Community Action Program and the Hamilton Street Advisory Board also contributed to the event, Guy said.
On hand to help distribute the backpacks were Township Councilmen Carl Wright (D-4th Ward) and James Vassanella (D-5th Ward). Among the other Township officials who stopped by were Mayor Phil Kramer, Township Councilwoman Kimberly Francois (D-At Large), Township Councilman Charles Onyejiaka (D-3rd Ward), and Township Councilman Ram Anbarasan (D-At Large).
The Franklin Reporter & Advocate spoke to Guy and Sanders during the event:
Here are some scenes from the day:
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