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By Sandi Scannelli

May 4 — have you marked your calendar?  If you have not attended Clemmons Community Day, make this the year to go. What’s the excitement all about? That’s what I kind of wondered last year — my first year. It was wonderful and like a huge neighborhood block party — a festival of friendships. You’ll see neighbors, work buddies, maybe your teacher who retired years ago, and many local businesses and nonprofit organizations sharing in conversations and activities. There are activities for the whole family including extended family. We don’t have many opportunities to gather as a full community and thanks to the organizers, the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce, this is the best of the best. Relaxed, casual, and pure fun.

Last year, the Clemmons Community Foundation had a booth with all the makings for kids of every age to plant a fruit tree seed.   We thought this was a great way to illustrate the value of everlasting philanthropy. Plant a donation to start a named fund and watch it grow and bear fruit to benefit our community in grants and scholarships. Great idea except we’re so busy helping all the excited kids choose and pot seeds that our symbolism may have been lost in the frenzy of activity! Our neighboring booths enjoyed wonderful conversations with parents while we scooped dirt and explained the various seeds to wide-eyed children. Who knew that potting seeds could be so popular? In fact, we’d love to know from last year’s kids how their seeds turned out — did they grow and how big? We’re still working on plans for our 2019 booth.

This year, after you finish the festivities at Clemmons Community Day, there is another bonus event for adults. Stroll across the street to Carillon Assisted Living where they will be offering a free Jazz & Juleps benefit event, Kentucky Derby style, with live jazz music outside on the back patio. You’ll also have the opportunity to make a donation to the Clemmons Community Foundation! We are grateful to Carillon Assisted Living for this benefit event. Important to know that all of the donations will support our work and grants in the Clemmons-Lewisville communities. Through our grants, we are supporting programs that serve our area and even enhancing their near-accessibility. As examples, last year the foundation awarded grants including Parenting Path with workshops here for parents and fathers, The Sergei Foundation’s veterinary assistance for companion pets owned by local seniors, the Jerry Long YMCA’s Livestrong program for cancer survivors, enhanced art education in our schools through the Arts Council, Big Brothers Big Sisters local programming, Cancer Services support for local residents, and a grant toward Novant’s mobile mammogram unit.   Next month, we’ll be announcing this year’s grant awards from the just-completed competitive application process. We look forward to sharing some exciting new programs. But until then…

Don’t miss Clemmons Community Day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 4 at the Jerry Long YMCA campus. Then, stroll across the street to Carillon Assisted Living’s spacious outdoor patio, enjoy music and refreshment from 2-4 p.m., and continue to celebrate community and all the things we do and can do together!

Sandi Scannelli is president and CEO of the Clemmons Community Foundation.