Duke’s 50th Anniversary Committee To Donate Meals To Urban Ministries

Although the kickoff of Duke's 50th anniversary of black undergraduates was cancelled last week because of weather, the commemoration is in full swing.

The 50th Anniversary Executive Committee and Parizade Restaurant have partnered to donate 200 meals to Urban Ministries of Durham, a local shelter that feeds hundreds of Durham residents daily. The meals are being picked up at 2:30 p.m. today by the head chef at Urban Ministries.

The non-perishable food would have been served at last Friday's public reception at the Nasher Museum of Art, the launch of a 9-month commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first black undergraduates to enroll at Duke.

The reception was at full capacity, registration had been closed and the food had been loaded onto trucks and was ready for delivery when dangerous road conditions forced the cancellation.

"Igor, the general manager of Parizade, clearly understood and shared our disappointment that the 50th anniversary reception was cancelled. We met the following day and he expressed that he valued Duke and the efforts of our 50th anniversary committee," said Ben Reese, Duke's vice president of institutional equity and co-chair of the 50th anniversary committee.

Reese worked on the donation with Phail Wynn, vice president of Duke's Office of Durham and Regional Affairs, and Igor Gacina, the restaurant's house manager as well as Patrice Nelson and Chef Larry Williams of Urban Ministries.

"As I reflect on our deep and longstanding partnership with Durham over these past 50 years, it seems only fitting that out of the disappointment of the cancellation, we're able to arrange this small contribution," Reese said.

The committee is planning to reschedule the event for later this semester.

For updates on the rescheduled event and more information on the 50th anniversary, visit http://spotlight.duke.edu/50years.