Thank you for the excellent coverage in the Dec. 17 paper of the second annual Christmas Festival for kids. Born Leaders was hoping to double the number of those who attended in 2016 and even exceeded that number. It was a great success, in part because of solid support from the business community.

A number of contributing businesses were not mentioned in the article and deserve recognition. This included Buffalo Wild Wings, Cheerwine Bottling Co., Cracker Barrel, Great Clips at Innes Street Market, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Harris Teeter, O’Charley’s, Salisbury Animal Hospital and Sam’s Club.

These community-minded businesses did much to ensure a successful festival. There were, as well, individuals who provided in-kind and financial contributions as friends and supporters of Born Leaders.

One of the supporting groups who performed at the festival and should be mentioned is Prancing Pearls.

The Born Leader Club is a 501(c)(3) organization, established to provide mentoring and leadership development to middle school students in Salisbury and Spencer. The founder and driving force behind the organization and the festival is Ola Nwafer. In 2016, she participated in the city of Salisbury’s Citizens Academy, a program to help residents find out more about their community and to take a greater role in the life of that community. Ola, who is on the staff at the VA Medical Center, took this seriously and both Born Leaders and the Christmas Festival are a direct result.

Born Leaders depends on community support for their mentoring and leadership training. Thank you for providing this well-deserved recognition.

— Gene Goetz

Salisbury