On March 29, First United Methodist Church sponsored "Remember Hope," a concert celebrating the 200th anniversary of Alachua County through our shared history of civil rights, women's suffrage, LGBTQ+, veterans, and all those who struggle for equality and to be seen in North Central Florida. 

LWVAC was proud to be among the community partners for this event, which according to LWVAC President Janice Garry, "was amazing!" The choir and orchestra, made up of church and community members, was thrilling. The other speakers were the locally famous Lizzie Jenkins who spoke about Rosewood, people from Gainesville Area Aids Program and the Pride Center. County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler read a county 200th anniversary proclamation. It was quite an event. 

President Garry spoke during the program (at approximately 41:00 minutes). Her words are below. A recording of the full concert is available here.  

Thanks to FUMC and all of the sponsors for this wonderful event bringing the community together to Remember Hope.

Remember Hope Musical Celebration
United Methodist Church of Gainesville
March 29, 2025
President’s Remarks

My name is Janice Garry and I have the privilege of being the president of the League of Women Voters of Alachua County.

The League was officially founded in Chicago in 1920, just six months before the 19th amendment was ratified by the states and women won the right to vote. The initial objective was to educate women so they could effectively take part in the political process and advocate for issues of importance to women. From its inception, the League has been nonpartisan and has not endorsed candidates for any office.

Because the League has been steadfast to those principles for over 100 years, it is a widely respected organization upon which the broad public depends for unbiased, factual information about voting and election issues.

When I think of hope, I think of community. And I am proud that the League is a part of the Alachua County community. During the 2024 election season, we reached out to voters county-wide. One member, Lori Erickson, created League at the Libraries and her team visited libraries each month to register and inform voters. Another member, Candy Birch, led a Speakers Bureau team and gave informative talks all over the county. Gwen Wagner organized our VOTE411 website that had over 9,000 visits to learn about ballot issues. Our communications chair, Connie Nicklin, created an umbrella of information about a multitude of events on our website and Facebook page. We distributed 2,000 Voter Guides as inserts in Main Street Daily news that went to drop boxes county-wide. In all, we distributed some 15,000 handouts.

Alachua County had 85% voter turnout. The Gainesville Utilities Referendum that the League supported was approved by 73% of voters. The at-large county district referendum was approved by 72% of voters. We supported home rule and election integrity. Our League and other helping hands served our community well.

I am an activist because it is the right thing to do, without the expectation of a specific outcome. Activism in a just cause builds individual growth and resilience. I suspect that each person in this audience is an activist in some cause to some degree. We each represent a small community that contributes to the broader community.

This evening we are filling these walls with music, joy and love.

Thank you to Michael Ekbladh for including the League of Women Voters in this event. Thanks to each of you for your work. Thanks to each of you for being a part of our community. Together we work for justice, a more perfect community and a more perfect democracy. The work is the reward. The relationships are the reward. Today we are here to celebrate the work.

Please ring the bells.