Organizers are gearing up for the annual Jersey City Reunion, and it will be the first without longtime organizer David Campbell at the helm. Campbell, 57, died in January of pneumonia.
This is the 15th year for the reunion, which will take place from noon to 6 p.m. July 12 at Jersey City Park on West Kerr Street.
Every year at the event, a family or individual is honored. This year, organizer Sherry Hawthorne said, they’ll pay tribute to Campbell.
The event will include performances by St. Luke’s Baptist Church and the Salisbury Drill Team from the Miller Center. Melvin and Marvin Shaw will share the history of the reunion.
There will be a car show and a pickup basketball game with Salisbury Kings, a youth basketball team led by Krystal Connor. Mark Rustin will open up the event with a prayer followed by a dedication and memorial tribute by the Campbell family, Henry Relford, a longtime friend of David Campbell, and others in the community.
In July 2012, Campbell decided to make that year his last because of declining health, but at the insistence of the community, he returned.
Organizers are still accepting applications for vendors and booths. Applicants must complete and turn in forms by Tuesday, Hawhthorne said.
All vendors who will participate must arrive by 11:30 a.m. to set up, she said.
For more information about applications, contact Hawthorne at 704-499-1197 or Marvin Shaw at 704-202-3952.