TARPON SPRINGS, FLa. — Two years ago, Julianna Day sat on a bench in Dorsett Park on June 19, alone.
"I was the only one here and I wanted to celebrate my history," says Day.
WATCH: Tarpon Springs community celebrates 2nd annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration
This fueled her motivation to bring her community together yearly to celebrate Juneteenth.
"My whole vision is sustainability. To reach each community, street by street, and as we work today, we just pray that this will boom even bigger each year," says Day.
And with the celebration comes opportunity for families like Tiffany and Nelson Butler.
Tiffany has just started her self-owned business, Tiffany's Touch. And Saturday, she had the opportunity to share that touch with friends and community members. But also to share the celebration with Nelson and their kids.
"To see all the different walks of life come together to celebrate. It's a blessing. It's a blessing, man. It's a major blessing," says Nelson.
For Day's dream, the second annual event was a success, but growing bigger every year is the goal.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
