By ROBERT LINNEHAN
For the seventh year in a row Camden County residents can visit Voorhees Township and get a little taste of the entire world.
The Seventh Annual International Day 2010 will again host the various cultures and communities that make Camden County one of the most diverse and international places to live in the state.
The event will be hosted on Saturday, Oct. 16 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Andrews Church, on 27 Kresson-Gibbsboro Road.
The event is free and anyone in Camden County is invited to attend, said Habib Quraishi, chairman of the Voorhees Diversity Committee.
“We wanted to bring people together to talk, get to know one another, and experience each other’s cultures. We’ve invited different committees and commissions to the event as well,” he said. “We offer booths to different nations to come and display their food and cultural events. The food available at the event is donated by different restaurants throughout the area.
“We have good representation from Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern, and Malaysian cultures.”
The event was created to highlight the diversity of the Voorhees Township community and the Camden County community through a fun-filled free day. In addition to various ethnic foods, the festival will also feature multi-cultural displays and booths to entertain and educate visitors.
Every single year the event has grown, Quraishi said, with more than 500 people attended last year’s International Day celebration.
Last year Gov. Jon Corzine even came to the event and spent some time exploring the various displays set up for the festival, he said.
The Voorhees Township Citizens Cultural and Diversity Advisory Committee traditionally sponsor this event in cooperation with the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Camden County Human Relations Commission.
Each year all of the elected officials of Voorhees, the county, and also some at the state level are invited to attend the International Day, Quraishi said.
“Voorhees and Camden County is a very diverse community with over 50 to 60 nationalities represented throughout,” he said. “Come to the celebration, bring as many as you can, and enjoy the day.”
Mayor Michael Mignogna said the event celebrates the multi-cultural population of Voorhees Township quite well.
“International Day affords our community the opportunity to celebrate and embrace our diversity through ethnic food tastings and multicultural displays,” he said. “The event also educates us, encouraging respect and acceptance.”
For more information, interested attendees can contact Deputy Mayor Dean Mazurek at 882–1176 or DeanMazurek@comcast.net or visit camdencounty.com.
