‘We can endure this’: Hundreds attend Juneteenth event in Lincoln despite extreme heat

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Juneteenth festivities kicked off in Woods Park on Saturday, as many gathered to celebrate their heritage and the end of slavery.

In the extreme heat and high winds, one man attending the event said he would be out there no matter what.

“It’s hot and windy but we don’t stop this celebration because of bad weather,” Leon Sanders Sr. said. “It’s the celebration of the end of slavery. There is no type of weather that would cause us not to celebrate that.”

The CEO of the Malone Community Center, John Goodwin, said they came prepared with free food, water, a refill station and countless volunteers.

He thinks the weather conditions almost help to highlight how important the day is.

“I believe if you think back on what our ancestors went through, this is nothing,” he said. “A little bit of wind, a little bit of heat, we can endure this for three hours right. It’s still important, it’s also a reminder of ‘OK it is hot out here, it is windy, we have some adversary, but so did they.'”

Alongside the many precautions organizers took, they also had entertainment, kids games and over 50 vendors serving the community.

Goodwin said it means so much to see such a huge turnout.

“This community has been great, they’re very supportive,” he said. “Malone Center is just a small part in what this community is. We recognize our African American heritage, we recognize what our people have been through and what we are going through. So we are just excited and thrilled to want to be out here to remember those wonderful things and what we are going to do.”