Hello Slamily!

Southern. Fried. Is. Just. Five. Days. Away!

Festival organizers are working around the clock to make our 2019 festival as epic as possible. We’re writing you today to let you know about a few pressing matters!

Childcare

First, we want to remind patrons with small children that babysitting services are available once again this year. The Fayetteville community has made itself accessible to provide childcare coverage for the entire week for children of poets and volunteers.

The primary care provider will be the mother of fellow poet, Lady S.Roxanne Speller is a licensed childcare provider with a decade of experience as a foster parent. She has her SID, CPR, and First Aid certifications as well as Early Childhood Development. Roxanne will be providing childcare services at her home during Southern Fried from the hours of 5PM-11PM Wednesday-Saturday. The fee is $125 per child for the week or $45 per child per night. This includes a snack at 7PM. Children will be asked to laydown for bed at 9PM.

If you are interested in reserving a space for your child, please respond to ebonypayne.english@gmail.com to receive the necessary forms and payment options. All forms must be filled out prior to 5PM on Wednesday, June 5^th if you would like to reserve a slot. This will ensure safety measures in regards to allergies, emergency contacts, etc. are on file with the childcare provider prior to any child’s arrival.

Update Team Rosters

Second, we need the following teams to update their roster BEFORE arriving in Fayetteville: SlamCharlotte, Breaking Bad Poetry, PuroSlam, MindWell Poetry, Art of Words, Bull City, New Jeru, Burn Beautiful, Team Gravy, Slam Winston, Burque Revolt, The People Poetry Slam, and Louisville Lip. Please finalize your rosters by filling out the Update Your Team Members form.

Local Laws and Ordinances

Third, we want to make our patrons aware of the local laws and ordinances. While there are many different state and city policies to consider when traveling each year, we thought it would be helpful to share information about the state’s laws about liquor consumption, as well as policies related to cannabis use. Fayetteville police advised us that we’ll likely stay out of trouble as long as we’re not blocking streets or intersections, and we’re following the rules of the city and hotel.

Shuttles

Fourth, we want to let you know a two van shuttle service is available for patrons without a ride to bouts. Priority will be given to patrons with children and mobility issues, and we encourage all participants with cars to help us shuttle friends and family to and from bouts safely. We also encourage Slamily members who patronize the shuttle to tip drivers and help them keep the vans clean.

Volunteers

Fifth, we still need volunteers! If you are interested in helping run the festival, please visit https://www.southernfriedpoetryslam.com/volunteer/. Remember, our tournament is only as good as our volunteers and we need your help to make the festival run as smoothly as possible!

Community Service

In addition, we want to let patrons know about two opportunities for community service:

The first involves bringing volunteers to the Fascinate-U Children’s Museum on Thursday, June 6^th at 9AM. We will help with scraping paint off the wall due to hurricane damage in the Tot Room.

• SHIFT: Thursday, June 6^th
• TASK: Volunteers will help with scraping paint off the wall due to hurricane damage in the Tot Room.
• TIME: 9AM to 12PM
• VENUE: Fascinate-U Children’s Museum
• LOCATION: 116 Green Street, Fayetteville, NC 28301
• AGE REQUIREMENT: None
• MORE INFO: Contact Susan Daniels at 910-829-9171 <susan@fascinate-u.com>

The other service opportunity is with Habitat for Humanity who is partnering with Southern Fried Poetry this year, and is looking for volunteers on Friday, June 7^th from 9AM – 12PM. If you can definitively commit, please sign up at https://fayettevillenchabitat.volunteerhub.com/lp/SouthernFriedPoetrySlam/.

• SHIFT: Friday, June 7^th
• TASK: Volunteers will remove a ceiling from a house that is being rehabbed for a new homeowner. Volunteers will also mow, trim trees, and pick up trash around the house and around Habitat’s other properties in the neighborhood.
• TIME: 9AM to 12PM
• VENUE: Habitat for Humanity
• LOCATION: 520 School St., Fayetteville, NC 28301
• REQUIRED WAIVER: Each participant/volunteer must submit one completed “Release of Liability” waiver per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30); the waiver is read/electronically signed on the FAHFH website during the registration process. Volunteers under the age of 18 will be required to have a paper waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Please contact Anna at anna@fayettevillenchabitat.org to obtain a copy of this waiver.
• AGE REQUIREMENT: None
• ATTIRE/SUPPLIES: Participants must wear closed-toe footwear and clothing they do not mind getting soiled. Please bring your own water bottle and safety glasses, if possible. Extra water, glasses, and all other equipment will be provided by FAHFH.
• OTHER: Water and snacks will be provided; lunch will not be provided.

Vendors

Finally, vendor information is available for those with merchandise interested in reaching a marketplace with a diverse community.

That’s all for now, fellow versifiers.

We’ll see you in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

Sincerely,

The Southern Fried Board