Bringing people together

A pile of shoes sits outside a jump castle, the sounds of laughter inflating its walls.

Nearby a man munches on popcorn, captivated by his son who is dancing to the "Electric Slide."

And smiling brightly as the sun filters down on the grounds of Morris Brown AME Church is Mary Darby. She's the architect of all this. It's Unity Day and it happened from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The annual event's purpose is simple: to bring people from the neighborhood and congregation together to celebrate each other while also teaching valuable life skills. Topics ranged from banking and financial information to how they can improve their health. Vendors were on hand selling jewelry, baskets, even Girl Scout cookies. There was plenty for the kids to do as well. There were jump ropes and board games, and the City of Charleston Police Department was on site with its K9 unit, something that seemed to be a real hit with the children. Inside there were books to read, food to eat and a magic show.

"The ultimate goal of this whole thing is to bring people together," Darby said. "When we came up with it six or seven years ago we decided you always need to know about health and education. And we've put that all together here."

With a turnout of several hundred it seemed the day did just as Darby hoped -- unified her community, even if just for a couple of hours.

"Not only is this event informative, but it's a good time for fellowship," Darby said.

Reach Bryce Donovan at 937-5938.