Freedom Festival in Fremont offers activities for children
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on August 26, 2017 6:09 PM
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Sandra Webster holds her granddaughter, Genesis Brown, while she enjoys an orange soda at the Freedom Festival Saturday in Fremont.
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Jamari Elliott, right, tries to block Jalen Smith as he moves in to make a basketball shot at Rocket Community Park, during the Freedom Festival Saturday in Fremont.
FREMONT -- Children jumped inside a bouncy house and played basketball during the Freedom Festival held Saturday at Rocket Community Park.
Vashawnda Brown took her 3-year-old daughter, Genesis, to the event, designed to offer children an afternoon of fun in a positive environment.
"She had a good time," Brown said. "She was bouncing around and stuff."
As the little girl sat and drank an orange soda, a group of children played basketball on the Rocket Park court. The park, on South Sycamore Street, is privately owned by the Wooten family.
A car show was also set up nearby, at the Norwayne Alumni Friends Community Center.
"We went down and looked at the car show before we came, and she enjoyed that," she said.
Brown, who lives in Pikeville, decided to attend the Freedom Festival in support of its organizer, Uhuru Ulyesse.
"He makes sure he's doing something for the youth, and doing something positive for the youth that has no cost to it," Brown said.
Ulyesse, known as Coach Freedom, works with children, through coaching and mentoring, primarily in the Goldsboro area, he said. Ulyesse was asked by a member of the Wooten family to offer a fun day at the park in Fremont.
"I do stuff in the community every day," he said. "(I want them) to see differently."
Ulyesse, whose first name means freedom in Swahili, organizes events, which require little cost, if any, to children and youth.
The Freedom Festival had games for the children, as well as free haircuts, he said.
"It's really for the kids," said TremÃ(c) Boone, one of the event volunteers. "We're trying to make a change, really, and just giving back to the youth. When someone is doing something positive, I like to give my extended hand."
Sandra Webster, Genesis' grandmother, thought the festival provided good activities for children over the weekend.
"I think it's a wonderful idea," she said. "It brings the community together, and it's a fun day in Rocket Park for the kids."
Mayor Darron Flowers visited the park and said the festival was one of several events that brought people together in Fremont Saturday.
"I'm just encouraged that we're having the participation that we're having," Flowers said. "All but the car show is for the children. Mr. Wooten has been foresighted in providing something for the youth."