UNC students Oliana Luke, Sami Lachgar and Griffin Unger, are the brains behind the event, which aims to raise money for the homeless and be a unique activity for Chapel Hill residents.
“Essentially, we will close a section of Franklin Street on the first Friday of every month to hold a food and music festival showcasing local artists and vendors,” Luke said.
First Fridays would attempt to provide a positive environment for the interaction of college students, families, the elderly and people from different races and ethnicities to celebrate the diversity of the town.
“The event will be designed to bring together different factions of the Chapel Hill community that wouldn’t necessarily interact,” Luke said.
The goal is to create a space where people can come together for a fun, safe activity that promotes local business and music, while also fighting the town’s homelessness problem.
Designed as a nonprofit, 10 percent of the profits would be used to cover setup costs while the rest of the money would be donated to organizations that help combat homelessness.
“Our idea is that while many have the luxury of eating for pleasure, some don’t have enough food for day-to-day needs,” Luke said. “We want to have an event that shows the entire community that Chapel Hill isn’t just one group of the same people.”
As a student-led event, it would rely on contributions from the town of Chapel Hill and the input of community leaders. Chapel Hill town council candidate Michael Parker said he thinks this is a great idea.
