Lake County NAACP sets plans for 2025 Freedom Fund Banquet - The News-Herald
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The Lake County NAACP will honor community members and raise funds for its scholarship and programming at the upcoming Freedom Fund Banquet.
Lake County NAACP Second Vice President Frances Webb said that the Oct. 18 event will feature “an exciting lineup of community award winners,” a buffet, raffles and more. The keynote speaker will be Fox 8 News anchor, Dawson Foundation co-founder and Grace Tabernacle Baptist Church of Lyndhurst pastor Rev. Wayne Dawson.
“It is going to be something powerful, because we need unity more than ever, and that’s our theme and our goal this year, unity,” said Lake County NAACP President Chris Lee.
According to Webb, the organization’s 2025 Community Award winners are:
• Elvert Jordan, a Painesville City Police officer and Harvey High School safety officer who is receiving the Robert H. Fountain Award for public safety and public service;
• Dr. Carl Allamby, who works at the Cleveland Clinic and is receiving the Dr. William J. Rucker Award for medicine;
• Tony Brooks, the owner of TERKK’s Computer Services Plus in Painesville who is receiving the Rev. Vincent R. Miller Award for community impact; and
• Earnestine Jones, a former Painesville teacher who is receiving the Selma C. Hall Award for education/legal work.
Lee said that he is also introducing new presidential awards this year to honor people who have been involved with the NAACP. The new awards will go to:
• Amir Jones, a Harvey High School band director whom Lee said has worked with youth in the community;
• Judith Cunningham, the assistant to the president and the person Lee said is responsible for keeping the Lake County NAACP’s website running;
• Rick Beamer, who works with youth in the community;
• Webb, a Painesville City School Board member who has also been involved in tutoring;
• James Dillard, who is the Lake County NAACP first vice president and Lee’s “right-hand man”; and
• President’s Award winner Karyn Gant, whom Lee described as his “soldier on the ground” and the founder of the local nonprofit Ground Zero Elevated.
“It’s a blessing to have each and every last one of them on my team and doing things for the community, because those are the examples of unity in the community,” Lee said.
Webb said that the banquet will also honor teachers from local schools, and students will read award-winning essays from the Maltz Museum’s Stop the Hate contest.
Lee added that guests at the banquet will include Ohio NAACP President Tom Roberts and NAACP national board of directors member Ophelia Averitt.
Webb said that the Freedom Fund Banquet is the Lake County NAACP’s major fundraiser. She added that the organization provides scholarships, free community events, tutoring and more.
Lee said that his motto for this year has been to destroy barriers designed to keep people separated. The organization is looking at bringing community members together to benefit the community, regardless of political party.
“Blue and red makes the color purple,” he said. “And purple signifies royalty. So we are all kings and queens, and when we all kings and queens come together, we get things done.
“It’s not about who’s blue, who’s red,” Lee added. “It’s about the royalness, what can we do for our community.”
The banquet is set to start at 5 p.m. on Oct. 18 at LaMalfa, 5783 Heisley Road, Mentor. Lee said he expects the program to start at 7:30 p.m. and to wrap up by 9:30 p.m.
He added that the NAACP can run ticket sales up until around Oct. 15, though it would be helpful for the organization to have sales in by Oct. 12.
Tickets cost $75 and can be purchased by calling 440-639-1008, emailing lakecountynaacp@aim.com or reaching out to a member of the organization’s executive committee. Tables with 10 seats can be purchased for $700.
Tickets are also available online on an Eventbrite listing, but there is an extra ticket fee.
Information can also be found by visiting lakecountynaacpohio.org and selecting “Events.”