Contact: Adrienne Reyes Stevens
Main Street Birmingham, Inc.
Communications and Public Relations Manager
c 205.249.4805
o 205.595.0562
Orlando Robinson
West End Merchants Association President
p 205.410.7007
West End Merchant’s Association Reaches Out to Community; Holds Second Annual Back to School Festival
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 14, 2008
Birmingham, AL – The West End Merchants Association continues to give back to the community by hosting its annual Back to School Festival on Saturday, August 16th from 11:00am until 3:00pm on the corners of Lomb and Cotton Avenues.
With over 20 sponsors, this event’s budget has grown significantly and allowed organizers to add health screenings for attendees along with purchasing an increased number of school supplies for youth.
“We look to motivate hundreds of youth as they prepare to face various challenges in the upcoming school term,” said West End Merchants Association President Orlando Robinson, “last year we distributed over 350 backpacks and we hope to exceed 500 this year.”
Established in 1983, the West End Merchants Association (WEMA) works to promote local businesses, to encourage high quality services, and to improve the economic development and conditions of the West End community as a whole. For more information about the West End Merchants Association, visit their website at www.westendma.com.
Main Street Birmingham, Inc. is a nonprofit under contract with the City of Birmingham to implement the BEACON program for neighborhood commercial district revitalization. The program targets nine urban commercial districts to strengthen economic development by utilizing the National Trust Main Street Center’s Four Point Approach ™ of design, organization, economic restructuring and promotion.
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