BERLIN – A block party planned for downtown Berlin in August will benefit Believe in Tomorrow.
On Monday, June 12, the Berlin Town Council approved a request from Believe in Tomorrow representatives to host a fundraiser described as a block party on Main Street Aug. 12. The event would raise money for the nonprofit, which offers respite housing in Ocean City to families with sick children.
“We hope you have a great event,” Mayor Gee Williams said.
Berlin merchant Donna Compher and Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation’s Wayne Littleton presented the event request. Littleton told the council that as a nonprofit, his organization was always struggling to find funding. He’s created various annual events to help raise money for the foundation.
“One of the projects we’d like to do is have a block party in Berlin,” he said.
He said the event would include live music and children’s games as well as vendor booths. He plans to work with Main Street businesses to find ways they can participate.
“We want to do everything right to make it a yearly thing,” he said. “We want to really stress the family part.”
Littleton said Believe in Tomorrow hosted six families a week in Ocean City during the summer and that he fully expected those in town the week of Aug. 12 to be in attendance at the Berlin event. He said other community members he’d shared the idea of a block party with had expressed interest. He’s hoping attendance that day will be about 500 people.
“I think the local community will come out and support us,” he said.
Councilman Zack Tyndall asked how the party fit in with the town’s plan to limit events so there weren’t too many. Town Administrator Laura Allen explained that officials were in the midst of drafting a policy regarding downtown events.
“This came on the cusp of that,” she said.
Since the policy has not yet been completed or approved, Allen opted to present the council with Littleton’s request.
The council voted unanimously to approve the Believe in Tomorrow event.
