From:  Betsy Wells, DNC Cleveland County Organizer

I’m delighted to share details about two opportunities for Cleveland County people to take part in Democratic National Convention activities coming up in September.  These opportunities are:

• The CarolinaFest 2012 celebration to be held on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3, in uptown Charlotte to kick-off convention week—family-friendly, free, and open to everyone.

• The opportunity to take a chartered bus from Cleveland County to Charlotte and back for President Obama’s speech accepting our party’s nomination for his re-election, to take place Thursday, Sept. 6, in Bank of America Stadium. 

First, information about the chartered bus and President Obama’s speech:

Some of you have already earned a ticket to the stadium event by volunteering for or supporting various candidates’ campaigns, and others are applying for “community credentials” to attend (more about this later). 

You’re all welcome to arrange for travel to and from Charlotte on our chartered bus--first-come, first-served for the 49 seats available at $15 each, payable to me.  We expect the seats to sell out fast, so if you’re interested get in touch with me right away by email at wellsbetsy@gmail.com or phone 704.477.7024. 

Details about the trip:  A charter bus for stadium-goers will leave Cleveland Mall in Shelby at 10:00 a.m., Sept. 6, then stop at 10:30 a.m. at the YMCA in Kings Mountain, then travel to the Carowinds parking area.  From there, shuttle buses will take passengers to the stadium and return them to Carowinds after the event for the charter bus ride back to Cleveland County.

Don’t have a ticket yet?  You can apply for what DNC calls “community credentials” to gain admission to the stadium (and thereby also be eligible to buy a seat on our charter bus).  Here’s how:  if you have internet access, go immediately to www.BarackObama.com/communitycredentials and enter your name, zip code, and phone number.  Convention representatives will then contact you directly regarding admission.  If you don’t have internet or email access, telephone me at 704.477.7024. 

Sept. 3 CarolinaFest

The free celebration kicking off convention week is a great family way to spend Labor Day. The celebration will take place on Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte, beginning at 10:00 a.m. with the Charlotte Labor Day Parade.  Stage programming will begin at noon and conclude at approximately 6:15 p.m., and will include live music and speakers.  In addition, many other family-oriented activities will be taking place around the uptown area at the celebration, open and accessible to more families than any other convention kickoff in history.  

For your convenience, I am attaching a copy of an article from Charlotte’s Center City Partners website which summarizes all the planned activities and gives details on location of stages, parking, etc.  Within a few days, we expect announcement of the musical groups and speakers who’ll be on the stage program.  Sign up at http://charlottein2012.com/carolinafest2012/ to stay abreast of this breaking news.

In summary, CarolinaFest guests will enjoy the best of the Carolinas’ food and culture, excellent entertainment, and the rare opportunity to witness history in the making in a centralized location.  The event will feature an array of activities for all ages, youth activities on the green, museums that are free to the public, and the Legacy Village highlighting community efforts to support Mayor Foxx’s Legacy Project and featuring interactive exhibits inviting direct engagement.

Center City museums offering free admission for CarolinaFest will be the Mint Museum, the Bechtler Museum, and the Gantt Center.  Discounted admissions will be offered to Discovery Place, NASCAR Hall of Fame, and Levine Museum of the New South.

We’re hoping many from Cleveland County will take part in CarolinaFest and attend the historic stadium event.  I can tell you it was an awesome experience in 2008 seeing the thousands who came to see Barack Obama accept our party’s nomination in the Broncos’ stadium in Denver.  The convention and surrounding events will bring the attention of the nation and world to our state.  We can not only showcase our region but have the opportunity to be part of our country’s political history.

Come join in!

Betsy Wells, DNC Cleveland County Coordinator

wellsbetsy@gmail.com