Community dinner brings people together in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- More than 650 people were expected to attend the Mildred Council Annual Community Dinner at the McDougle Elementary School cafeteria in Chapel Hill Sunday.

Diners enjoyed fried chicken, barbecue and all the trimmings.

"I think it's really good and I really like it," said Jessi Blu, 13, of Chapel Hill.

This is the 22nd annual dinner, which celebrates cultural diversity.

The dinner has a saying, "Sit down with a stranger and leave with a friend."

It was renamed after event co-founder Mildred Council, who died last year. You may know her as Mama Dip, of Mama Dip's Kitchen.

RELATED: Chapel Hill food icon 'Mama Dip' dead at 89

"It makes it really special," said Council's youngest daughter, Spring. "The main thing is to bring people together from all diverse, economic-life and also different cultures. And let people just get together, have a great meal."

Mama Dip's family created the menu and provided some of the food. Other local restaurants and churches also provided food.

Nerys Levy is another dinner co-founder.

"If you can have a look around today and see the composition of this event, it's very, very culturally diverse," Levy said. "If it's not on the stage, it's on the tables or in the volunteers."

"I feel it's showing our diversity," Blu said. "The fact that we're really diverse can help us connect to each other and learn about other cultures around the world."

You can find more information about the dinner here.