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Everyone is invited to Flanigan Park on Saturday for a day of community, connection and impact. Named for a beloved member of the Williamsport community, the late Percy David Mitchell Sr. -- or as many knew him, P.D. Mitchell, the day is a celebration of legacy, unity and youth empowerment.
Hosted by the Boy Mom Marathon, the event is "mainly about bringing the community together," said Loniqua Howell, founder of the non-profit which is hosting what she described as a block party. It begins at 3:30 p.m. and runs until 7 p.m.
"The majority of everything that we're planning is like an old school block party," Howell said.
"We want the families to be involved. We want the families to get out there, jump some rope...do a little hopscotch, a little electric slide or something like that," she said.
The day will feature music, food and family-oriented activities and even a microphone for those who want to share their musical talent. And of course, an inflatable bowling game, in honor of the day's namesake, Percy David Mitchell Sr.
A prominent member of the Williamsport community in the 1960's, Mitchell was instrumental in starting the first African American bowling team in the state. The team was later recognized by the American Bowling Congress. That was just one of the many ways Mitchell worked to create different opportunities for younger people and bring the community together.
A historical marker honoring Mitchell in the 200 block of West Fourth Street reads: "As executive director of the former Bethune-Douglass Community Center, Mitchell was an inspiration to the black community and the community at large for nearly 40 years. He was instrumental in organizing and coaching numerous youth sports teams. He coached the first African-American bowling team in Lycoming County, which was later recognized by the American Bowling Congress. Mitchell has been recognized by countless organizations for his commitment to community service."
"He was somebody who invested in the community, especially with young people," Howell said.
"He was the executive director of Bethune Douglas Center for 40 years. He was an inspiration to the Black community and the Williamsport community as a whole. He was deeply involved in youth sports. He organized and coached numerous youth teams," Howell continued.
In her study about who Mitchell was, Howell said she learned, "he pretty much didn't take no for an answer when trying to bring the community together and get things rolling...I guess it was a time of segregation and integration beginning. So, getting those different races and things together in the community. I was told he also helped build and put that together, like the community, building them as a whole community."
"So we're not just celebrating Percy, we're celebrating a person from the past, somebody whose work is connected to the kind of community we're still trying to build today," she said.
Also during the event, a group of youth from the community who have formed a choir will be performing Michael Jackson's song, "Man in the Mirror."
Howell said the plan is to also be giving away a small amount of sneakers and socks for the children attending as well as laminated ID cards to put in backpacks in case the backpack or the child gets lost. It will also detail any medical issues the child has.
Even though some of the activities are aimed at the younger members of the community, Howell stressed that "age doesn't matter."
"There's no discrimination at all. I would love for the whole town to come out...that would be great," she said.
"The older generation has knowledge and history that some of our kids don't know about. I think being able to tell the stories of Percy Mitchell, who started the Bethune Douglas Center, which many people know about, they remember, they speak about it. I've heard many people still to this day wanting another center like it. Just being able to do what someone has done years ago with bringing the community together for that opportunity for people to get to know each other and actually realize how much we have in common and that we're not so much different, so maybe we can kind of understand each other a little bit better," she said.
"We wanted to be able to have a good time with the community and just get to know everybody, and just like I said, help people recognize the history within the community that initially brought us together, and maybe we could bring those factors back into place," she added.