The St. James will host another fundraiser to pay for daily operations and repairs on Sunday, but this time city officials have put a creative spin on what could have just been another fundraiser.

The event is titled Soul Food Sunday, which is immediately more enticing than a dinner with no theme or title. It will include jazz, fried chicken, cornbread and Selma residents that have just heard the Lord’s word.

Live music always adds excitement to an event, especially when public officials, such as city attorney Jimmy Nunn, are performing.

The deep southern cuisine is the most crucial part of what makes Soul Food Sunday a special event. At the last fundraiser for the St. James, chicken and steak were among the featured entrees. We all love a good steak or some tasty chicken, but no true southerner can deny their taste buds the opportunity to sink their teeth into some fried chicken.

Soul Food Sunday is a smart idea because it’s tied into the Southern heritage.

We also can’t forget the fact that people love to eat with their family right after church. Seriously, when was the last time you went to a popular restaurant after church and it wasn’t filled with people?

Because the event begins at noon and runs until the late afternoon, there is ample time for people to swing by and eat a meal. Ward 5 councilman Sam Randolph said to-go meals will also be available.

The meal costs $10 each, which could get a bit pricey for a family, but it is for a good cause. Perhaps that’s a motivating reason to forget about cost.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the St. James Hotel, but how much money will that be?

At the last benefit dinner, city officials raised approximately $1,600, which is a smidgeon compared to the $25,000 the city of Selma has spent on the hotel.  Soul Food Sunday may raise a bit more, but it will hardly be enough for the St. James to make the needed renovations.

We believe that hosting multiple fundraisers is not a sustainable long term plan, but it’s nice to see the city council coming up with creative ideas until it finds a buyer for the historic hotel.