Community Board 11 discusses Juneteenth fundraising, vendors and honorees for June 22 event

Community Board 11 committee members discussed logistics and fundraising for a Juneteenth celebration scheduled for June 22 and identified a need for sponsors, honorees and a keynote speaker. The committee said existing programming is largely in place but additional funds are needed to meet event costs.

Cynthia, a committee member who has been coordinating the event, told the committee that the board’s budget requires use of city vendors for contracted services, which constrains procurement. “We’re kind of tied with our current budget because it has to be utilized with specifically a city vendor. That's our our our biggest challenge,” Cynthia said. She said the DJ has been secured and is a city vendor and that food vendors are being sought among city vendors as well.

Committee members reported active fundraising outreach. Alex Ellison, the committee chairman, said he had visited local banks and that some had expressed interest and reached out to other businesses. Committee members said the event date is June 22 and that a target fundraising goal discussed in the meeting was about $2,500, but attendees said that figure was not confirmed. “What's the goal? Is the goal 20 it's 2,500?” Ellison asked; the meeting record does not confirm a final target.

Other practical items the committee discussed included promotional materials, a save‑the‑date flyer and documentation needed by institutional donors. One bank asked for a tax form and the event’s EIN; meeting participants said the committee mailbox contains the completed tax form. Members noted some difficulty accessing shared Google documents and agreed to forward copies or screenshots of sponsor spreadsheets to those who could not open them.

Cynthia asked board members to suggest honorees representative of the district and said she is still seeking a keynote speaker. She also described planned activities and vendors (balloonist, face painter, potential games and outside activities) and solicited volunteers to help recruit sponsors and honorees. No formal vote or budget approval occurred during the committee meeting; the discussion focused on outreach and logistics.

The committee agreed to circulate the flyer and sponsor letter and to provide contact information and the EIN to potential donors. Committee members said they would continue outreach over the coming weeks to identify sponsors and finalize details for the June 22 event.