Orange County NC Website
Community Impact The performance component of the Mildred Council Annual Community <br />Dinner showcases excellent local culturally diverse talent to an anticipated <br />audience of 500 attendees and has a big community impact. For the many <br />children attending they can see youth role model performers dancing, <br />playing instruments, jumping rope and doing amazing things. Many of the <br />performers invite dinner participants to the stage to join them in their <br />presentations. Meanwhile, event participants include members from a <br />variety of organizations who in the past have contacted the artists to <br />perform at other venues. At our 2025 event we had 45 performers and an <br />audience of over 400 culturally diverse Orange County residents. The <br />event is a major happening in the local community's calendar and the <br />committee tries to involve as many local populations as possible. W e have <br />publicity in English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Karen and Burmese. Food <br />is equally diverse. Until 2024 Mama Dips Kitchen cooked most of the food. <br />W ith that restaurant's closure we asked Beau Catering to cook the main <br />meal and reached out to a number of culturally diverse food establishments <br />for supplementary food donations. Most to the desserts, including fruit, are <br />donated by local businesses and religious establishments. The mission of <br />the project is to be as inclusive as possible. To date the event has involved <br />over 23,000 participants including entertainers, and in 2014 it received a <br />National League of Cities Award for its mission and cultural diversity. I <br />went to W ashington DC to a Legislative breakfast to receive that award, <br />The Dinner underwrites 60% of its tickets to underserved communities and <br />for many attendees the performances experienced maybe the only live <br />performances they will witness in a single year -or more. Tickets are <br />available through various community organizations ($5;00 for children 12 <br />and under and $10:00 for adults), including El Centro Hispano, online <br />through the Orange County Office of Civil Rights/ Civil Life, Mama Dip's <br />take out at weekends and at the door, The event is ADA accessible making <br />it a favourite venue for local disability groups. At the entrance to the event <br />many non profits, including arts organizations, have information tables and <br />at the 2025 Dinner 16 nonprofits registered to participate. <br />Docusign Envelope ID: 0B19D235-D0B9-43E7-9E42-29E0801EAF4B