A rendering shows the format of the plaque that Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick will dedicate on Saturday.

The Historic East Linden Project will hold its 2013 Community Gala a Saturday, an event that was rescheduled from May 11 due to rain.

The  public is invited to to participate in the festivities – a block-style, community fund-raiser that will be held rain or shine for the organization’s myriad projects – from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This year’s event will include the dedication of a bronze plaque by Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick.

In addition to identifying the neighborhood, the plaque contains the words “Peace, Community, Caring,” hallmarks of an organization that some thought would never get off the ground.

In 2004, a group of residents led by Theresa Bass, who has lived on the street for more than four decades, and Joan Holliday, a public nurse, decided it was time to work toward reversing the neighborhood’s decline. More than a decade later, the Historic East Linden Project, Inc. is a 501c3, Bass is president, and Holliday serves as a board member.

Bass’s daughter, Latoya Myers, is executive director and oversees a staff that runs programs such as “Study Buddies” for area schoolchildren. Through cooperative campaigns, the diverse, mainly low-income community has spruced up the street, reduced crime, and engendered residents’ pride.

On Saturday, a $50 ticket will admit one patron and sponsor one resident’s attendance at the casual, outdoor gala, which will include brunch, tours, a silent auction, and the sign dedication. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling board member Ethan Cramer at 302-293-1854 or emailing him at

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East Linden Street will be closed for the event. Visitors are encouraged to park in the garage on Linden Street, off of Union Street, and stroll down to the 300 block of East Linden. For more information, visit http://www.historiceastlindenproject.org/page10.html.