IN THE CITY TEXT BY MICHAEL SMITH, PRESIDENT & CEO, CHARLOTTE CENTER CITY PARTNERS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE CENTER CITY PARTNERS Two hundred and fifty years ago, Governor Polk signed a document that officially recognized Charlotte-Towne, a new city named in honor of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg. A lot has changed in the past two-and-a-half centuries, but the values upon which this city was founded remain true today. That’s why we are excited to recognize this milestone anniversary with CLT250, a year-long celebration filled with events large and small that invite our citizens to share and commemorate our storied past; celebrate our city’s independence, ingenuity, determination, collaboration, compassion and resiliency; and imagine a successful and unified future filled with hope and opportunity for all. Thanks to presenting sponsor Atrium Health and many other corporate partners, CLT250 is coming to life all across Charlotte. You will see recognition of our history during this year’s Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade. Everyone is invited to celebrate the official founding on December 3, with cake at Trade and Tryon and special surprises at all CMS schools and in all Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library branches. We will mark CLT250 during the MLK weekend of events in January. And our commemoration will culminate in May with Charlotte SHOUT!, an incredible festival of food, art, music and innovation that promises to be a defining asset for our community for years to come. You will also see CLT250 at many of our beloved community festivals. And we are encouraging everyone to get involved. This initiative is a giant invitation to all Charlotteans: We want you to volunteer, connect your own events to CLT250 and join the movement. But CLT250 is much more than a celebration. It is an opportunity to pull Charlotte together, to consider what makes this such an incredible city and to move forward on a shared vision. During the next six months, we’ll launch ongoing legacy projects that will add to our commitment to become a friendlier, healthier, more equitable and accessible city, and to create opportunity for all. These are big, long-lasting projects and initiatives that will make a difference for all of our citizens. And these legacy projects will create hope and promise for our shared future. We’re challenging our government, nonprofits and corporate partners to complete a legacy project that leaves an indelible mark on our community for the next generation. What can you, your school, your neighborhood or your house of worship do to create a legacy for Charlotte’s next 250 years? As we pause to celebrate Charlotte’s incredible origin story and the values that our founders instilled in this community, I am energized by the promise of Charlotte’s future. When our descendants celebrate this city’s 500th anniversary, I know they’ll pause to consider the spirit of independence, ingenuity, determination, collaboration, compassion and resiliency that inspire us all today. ■ Members of the Croatan tribe, an eastern North Carolina trtibe that dates back to the Lost Colony The annual "Meck Dec" Day Parade on May 20, 1919 The country’s second largest financial institution, Commercial National Bank, was founded in Charlotte back in 1874. 60 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
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