Dear Editor,
As the creator of Dinner on Main, I want to share a story that can be missed when an event is viewed only from the outside.
We thank The Sampson Independent for covering the Low Country Boil on Vance Street and sharing an evening filled with food, fellowship and fun.
From my perspective as the visionary, however, it was much more than an event. I saw people coming together: businesses giving, volunteers working, city employees stepping up and friends asking, “What can I do to help?”
This truly was a community effort.
The story began with our Downtown Manager, Tyler Wise. When I shared the vision with her, her eyes lit up. With a great big smile, she said, “I like that.” Tyler then took the idea to City Manager JP Duncan, who believed in it enough to place it on the schedule for City Council approval.
Our City Council shares our goals: bringing people to Clinton, showcasing downtown, creating reasons to visit and making our community a place where people want to gather.
Our committee — Tyler Wise, Meredith Horne, Wendy Dorman, Bill Scott, Kay Raynor and me — brought different talents and ideas together for one purpose: helping Clinton thrive.
Meredith Horne told our story through original graphics and marketing, giving Dinner on Main its own personality and helping people see and understand the vision. Our team challenged one another, solved problems and kept moving forward.
This event would not have happened without our sponsors: Mayor Lew Starling, Dubose Strapping, Concrete Materials, Dr. Huff Weight Loss Clinic, Southern Lighting, Butterball, Matthews Drugs and Sampson Partners. Their support made the evening possible.
We also thank R & R Brewing Kitchen & Taproom, through Ryan Roberts, for creating the Social Garden, which included Tipsy Nurse and Reedy Mark, and donating 675 jars for the dessert flights.
Wendy Dorman contributed tremendous creativity and countless hours. She designed the oyster cloth napkins, sewed a pearl onto the winning napkins, transported 2,192 dishes for place settings, serving dishes and silverware, and created the dessert-flight concept.
Wendy and her husband, Victor, made 230 flight boards, sanding each one, carving the jar holders and burning the Dinner on Main logo into the wood. They also designed and built the Food Barge.
Atrium Florist donated the flower arrangements. Pat Dixon donated 40 mason jars, and Embellishments by Vickie Best designed and donated the decorative oyster ornaments used in the arrangements.
Thank you to Stacey McNeil with Bryant’s Florist for creating the chalkboard signs, and to Terra Cottage Farm Nursery for loaning the plants that completed the décor.
We also recognize volunteer Kay Raynor, whose planted pots and ongoing work help beautify Downtown Clinton.
A special thank you goes to Tim Walters and The Killing Time Team for cooking the food to perfection.
Tyndall’s Seafood gave guests the chance to try crawfish without traveling all the way to New Orleans, along with boiled peanuts and beautiful, delicious shrimp. Bree also decorated their appetizer space beautifully.
Earl & Jerry’s in Roseboro donated the Ship Wreck Shrimp appetizer and served it at Grace Ho Fine Arts.
Sandpiper/Oasis donated more than 700 oysters, which many guests called the best oysters they had ever eaten. Keith and Emily were generous, helpful and easy to work with throughout the process.
Katie Tew added to the experience by painting oysters on the windows, creating a unique backdrop for the oyster display.
Queen Bee’s Eatz and Treatz prepared the desserts that filled all 675 jars for the flights, turning Wendy’s idea into a beautiful and delicious reality.
We thank Lori Smith of Burney’s Treats and More of Clinton, who opened her doors on her day off and allowed us to use her air-conditioned space to assemble the desserts on a hot September day.
Chad Thompson provided the music with assistance from Ross Kimbro’s equipment, creating the evening’s atmosphere. When the heat became a challenge, RNB Entertainment provided commercial-size fans that helped cool things down.
Thank you to Daniel Ko Photography for capturing the evening’s special moments.
Grand Equipment Rental delivered the trailer loaded with the tables and chairs we needed, making setup easier. Bashton Rentals delivered the tent that protected the food and guests.
Thank you to Vickie Mattocks for creating the directional signs.
Our Clinton Fire Department helped with setup and takedown. The City of Clinton Public Works Department provided four men to assist with setup and cleanup.
Working alongside them was Planning Director Lyle Warren, who placed road barriers, loaded and unloaded tables and did whatever was needed until everything was complete.
These contributions are not always visible to guests, who see the finished tables, food, flowers, music and fellowship. They may not see the hours of sanding, building, sewing, washing, cooking, arranging, hauling, setting up and cleaning up.
That is what makes Clinton special.
The greatest reward was watching everyone contribute something. No one had to do everything; each person simply did their part, and together those efforts created something truly special.
I am deeply thankful to every person, business, volunteer, city employee, sponsor and committee member who helped make this possible.
Dinner on Main is about more than a meal. It is about bringing people together and showing what can happen when a community says, “Let’s do it.”
While we appreciate the newspaper’s coverage, I wanted to recognize the many people whose names and contributions deserve to be remembered.
From the eyes of the creator, this is what I saw: a community that cared enough to show up, give, help, create and believe in what we could accomplish together.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you to everyone who gave time, talent, resources, creativity and heart to make the Low Country Boil on Vance Street possible. I am deeply grateful for each of you.
With sincere appreciation,
Debbie Roberts
Visionary, Dinner on Main
City of Clinton