During today’s County Commission meeting, the Dougherty County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved for the county to hold a First Annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2022, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held at the Government Center Plaza at 222 Pine Avenue in downtown Albany, spanning across the street in front of the Judicial Building and down Pine Avenue.

Last year, the Board of Commissioners approved an official Juneteenth Paid Holiday for county employees. This year will mark the first year that county employees will be able to take the holi- day, which will be on Monday, June 20, 2022. At a recent board meeting, the Board of Commis- sioners requested the idea of holding a county-sponsored celebration the Saturday before the employee holiday on Monday.

County Administrator, Michael McCoy, along with a committee, presented the Board with a pro- posed budget of $30,000, which was approved at this morning’s Commission meeting. This budget will allow the County to hold a first-class celebration for the community, which will in- clude special musical performances by Rutha Harris and the Freedom Singers, family activities for all ages, food trucks, live music, and a program to be presented at 12Noon on that Saturday to highlight the meaning of the celebration.

“This celebration means so much to me personally and professionally,” said Michael McCoy, Dougherty County Administrator. “Being from Texas, we were able to hold festivals for Juneteenth in the community where I grew up, and now, being able to hold our first one here in

Dougherty County, Georgia, is extremely special, creating an enormous milestone in this com- munity’s history that will live for years and years to come.”

The June 18th event will kick off at 11 a.m., with a 12Noon program with several performances by Rutha Harris and the Freedom Singers. The event is free and open to all citizens, who are encouraged to come out and bring the entire family to celebrate.