August 30th: BBQ Dinner to raise funds for a new museum in Mullins

The Pee Dee Museum of African-American Culture Committee will be holding a BBQ Dinner on August 30 to help raise funds for the new Mullins museum.

The museum which has been in the works for 12 years has finally began to get some air under its wings as of late. Several pit falls including the death of the projects original organizer Herschel Eaker, has left the museum committee in flux for years.

Until last year, when Pee Dee Museum of African-American Culture program coordinator Fannie Leonard took the project to Mullins City Council and won over the backing of Chairman of the Museum committee councilwomen Jo A. Sanders.

Since that time the City ofMullinsvoted to allow the museum to use the space behind the MullinsTobacco Museum in the old train depot station across from Mullins City Hall.

“The Committee thanks the City ofMullinsfor their support in making this 10 year dream start to actually come to fruition,” Pee Dee Museum of African-American Culture Chairwoman Martha Reaves said in a release about the fundraiser. “The City has been helping with renovation of the building and to make this a reality funds are still needed to help cover future cost.”

The buildings renovations, cleaning and set up will not be paid for by the City. The future costs of the building will be solely placed upon the museum committee.

This fundraiser will be the committees first in years, according to Martha.

“My sincere hope is that our friends and neighbors of theGreat Pee Deewill join us and assist in making the museum a main attraction,” Leonard said in a release.

The fundraiser will be held at the future location of the Museum on Front Street in Mullins from 5p.m.-8 p.m. All food is being donated by Councilwomen Sanders, who is also the owner of O’Hara’s Restaurant. All dinners will be for “take out” at $10 each.

Tickets are on sell in advance at Ohara’s Restaurant and the Greater Mullins Chamber of Commerce Office. A number of tickets can also be purchase at the door. If you need more information, Call Mullins Chamber at 843-464-6651 or email:mullinschamber@bellsouth.net.

“The Pee Dee African American Museum will not only provide education to our youth and reflect history to our elders, it is also a way to attract visitors to downtown Mullins,” Greater Mullins Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cindy Smith said in a release. She added she hopes the community will show up and support of the museum.

The objective of the Pee Dee Museum of African-American Culture is to tell and showcase the truthful history of African-Americans in the Pee Dee area. This will be accomplished through collections of historical documents, cultural-based artifacts, relics and memorabilia which can be viewed and appreciated by everyone.

Some items include: cast iron irons, hand tobacco setter, single-tree for plowing, wooden cheese box, bread box, scrub board for washing clothes, metal pump gun for spraying insects, antique canning jars, authentic African artifacts, metal flour scoop, porcelain cake pan and basin, glass milk bottles, old car crank, etc.

The museum committee will accept donations of artifacts, stories, monitorial donations and other items of interest to be placed in the museum. Leonard said they are a not-for-profit entity and are established under the 501-C-3 section of the Internal Revenue. To donate items call Leonard at 843-464-7162 or call Reaves at 843-464-7189.

This article was originally found on SCNow.com.