Vendors lined the inside of the Jacksonville Landing on September 25th, 2010 in one of the most astounding events to hit Florida. The second annual Filipino Pride Day brought together thousands upon thousands of Pilipinos in celebration of culture, music, dance, art, fashion, and so much more. The setting along the St. Johns River provided the perfect backdrop for an event sure to be remembered by the attendees.
We Filipino Inc.,in cooperation with First Coast Care Home Health Agency and Carangue + Carangue, PA Certified Public Accountants, established this event to support the non-profit organizations of The Philippine Medical Society Medical Missions,The Legacy of Care Health Clinic, and the WFI Disaster Relief Fund. Through a raffle with a choice of a Toyota Corolla or 10,000 cash as the top reward, attendees helped to support the cause, as well as earn themselves a new set of wheels.
The inside of the shopping mall was transformed into a center of awareness and education. On the bottom floor children stood in line to have their pictures taken for their own child identification kits. In addition, a showcase of art and photography from various Pilipino artists could be found along the corridor of the building, along with several posters depicting the history of Pilipino culture, as well as the influences of Hip Hop. After a quick ride up the escalators you could find physicians and nurses of Legacy of Care Health Center stationed behind tables providing free health screenings for everything from evaluating your cholesterol to assessing your risks of stroke.
With over 40 performances planned throughout the day, the immense amount of talent was easily noticeable. Aaron Caras, who recently sang at a Jaguars football game, astounded the attendees performing a duet with Kimberly Millare. Returning performer,Amanda Puyot, sang "Note to God", by Charice Pempengco - for which Amanda had the opportunity of opening for at one of the "Foster and Friends" concerts. The Philippine Performing Arts Company of Tampa Bay and Florida State University's Filipino Student Association Indak Dance Troupe mesmerized audiences with the grace of their cultural performances. Swagger Crew from Season 5 of America's Best Dance Crew as well as Jacksonville's Crème De La Crème Crew hit the stage with tons of energy. The evening intensified with the Prince Pelè Polynesian Revue performing their Samoan Sword Fire Dance.
As day turned to night, popular acts began to hit the stage. Tito Felix of Atlanta, Georgia drew energy from the crowd with their fan-favorite punk cover of Usher's," Nice and Slow". Following their performance, Jacksonville native Asia Cruise took to the stage with back-up dancers in step singing her hit singles "Selfish", as well as giving the audience a sneak preview into her future works which centered on the theme "Cruise Control".
One of the highlights of the night was the hip hop dance competition in which three teams around Florida competed for the belt and the title of Filipino Pride Day's best dance crew. The three competitors included The Lost Boys from Orlando, Florida, Woofpack from Gainesville, Florida, and Systematic Crew from Jacksonville, Florida. Each crew had to incorporate Pilipino culture into their performance, and in the end, Systematic Crew came out on top with an intense showcase of their dancing abilities.
Altogether, Filipino Pride Day brought together the culture of Pilipinos with the spirit of family to put on a great show and raise funds for a great cause. With this event only being in its second year, it is sure to get even bigger and better for years to come.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Moen Photography
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