PlayDate Raleigh-Durham is a monthly event that allows adults a chance to play games they grew up playing when they were children. From board games like Monopoly and Scrabble to Connect Four and Operation, each event is designed to bring back memories and keep adults feeling young at heart.
In December, in honor of the holiday season, MAJAK Acts LLC, the North Carolina affiliate for PlayDate Raleigh-Durham, served as a drop-off venue for Toys for Tots.
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. is a national organization founded on Jan. 5, 1911, at Indiana University. Composed of college-educated men, the group has chapters all across the world. Locally, the graduate chapters have been busy. The Cary alumni chapter celebrated its 20th anniversary last fall.
The Raleigh Alumni Chapter now has a weekly "Diamond Hour" as a networking event. In addition, the gathering also serves as an opportunity to solicit funds for the Kappa Charitable Trust Foundation, which provides monetary support for various scholarships.
In Durham, the Kappas of Durham Foundation Inc., a nonprofit charitable group, was established to benefit youth in Durham County. The gathering Saturday attracted members of the fraternity from across the Triangle.
Churchill Banks III and Justin Scurlock, two members of Kappa Alpha Psi, came out to support their fellow fraternity members who were in charge of the comedy show.
With the community involvement of the organizers of this event, it was easy to see why there was such a great crowd gathered on Saturday night. The first part of the night began in the performance hall with the comedy show. Comedians from around the country took to the stage.
Following the comedy show, it was time for the games. Inside the performance hall was the more modern approach to playing. There was a Wii game set up complete with a big screen for viewing.
In the community room, various board and card games were set up at each table. Blue Mountain Catering of Durham was on hand with some of its classic dishes.
Upstairs in the dance studio were more games. Miniature air hockey and pool along with two different tables where people were heavily involved in a game of Spades rounded out the fun.
In the upstairs lobby, still more games. There did not seem to be a space in the entire center that was not used.
The Lyda Merrick Moore Gallery was where the main gathering place was established. On one side of the room, a game of Twister began the competition. From there, it was the hula-hoop contest.
And of course, no nostalgic game night would be complete without a game of musical chairs, though this version had an interesting twist.
Sonya Harris of Durham came out for her first PlayDate event. Harris said she was happy this particular gathering was held in Durham. Harris shared a table and games with friends Christy Smith Foster and Jannah Bierens. The trio was engrossed in a game of Operation.
I did finally sit down to see what I remembered from the days of my youth (which were not that long ago, by the way.). Apparently, though, I did not remember much. I got beat in three straight games of Connect Four. After that, I decided maybe I needed to review the rules before I tried my hand at anything else.
PlayDate Raleigh-Durham's next event will be in February. For more information, including the exact date and time, visit www.playdateraleighdurham.com.
Helping Haiti
Everyone has heard about the devastation in Haiti as a result of the recent earthquake and the aftershocks that have followed. Last week, celebrities gathered to share their talent and raise funds to help those displaced by the disaster in a live televised event.
Locally, businesses and organizations have been doing their part to share in relief efforts. On Wednesday, the Siena Hotel's Il Palio restaurant led the effort to organize businesses in Chapel Hill. Various Chapel Hill businesses donated a portion of proceeds from that day to the American Red Cross, Orange County Chapter.
In Durham, a Haitian relief concert scheduled for Saturday night has been rescheduled because of the weather for this coming Saturday at the Hayti Heritage Center. At last count, more than 15 local groups had been confirmed to participate and a number of media outlets and organizations had partnered with the effort.
Angela Ray is an actress, author and motivational speaker. For comments or tips on future events, e-mail her at Angela@mahoganydime.com.
