Community members gathered at K.R. Barkman Park on Sunday for the Festival for Life, hosted by Life Culture.
The event featured speeches, a free barbecue, children's activities and a large donation of diapers and baby items for single mothers.
According to Executive Director Susan Penner, the event is intended to bring people together while highlighting the importance of supporting one another.
“Essentially, we do this event to celebrate life. It's an opportunity for the community to come together,” said Penner.
Several speakers shared personal stories, touching on topics ranging from supporting single mothers to helping people through difficult circumstances.
“The main theme of the stories was just to show people how much a culture of caring can change people's lives. So, whether it's supporting a single mom, whether it's walking alongside a woman who's had an abortion, or whether it's caring for people as they age, I think we all need to realize we can just make such a big difference in other people's lives if we simply care,” said Penner.
Attendees were also encouraged to donate diapers in support of single mothers. Penner said the event is often described as a “giant baby shower” due to the volume of donations they receive.
“We often frame it as a giant baby shower because so many people bring boxes of diapers and baby items,” she said.
This year’s diaper donations will be shared with Southeast Helping Hands, with Life Culture also keeping a portion of supplies.
The turnout to this year's event was encouraging for organizers, Penner added.
“It's super encouraging. I know there's a lot of people in our community who support the work of life culture," said Penner. “We just love doing this event as a thank you but also just to make the community aware of what we're all doing. So, I really appreciate that people come out and support this.”
The event served as both a celebration and a reminder of the impact community support can have.
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