Los Angeles is gearing up to celebrate the return of the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour (ICGT) for the 13th Annual Taste of Soul Family Festival. The event will be taking place on Saturday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. along Crenshaw Boulevard and W Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. With a talented lineup that includes regional favorites from Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and beyond, the stage is set to draw thousands once more to enjoy a day full of uplifting gospel music.
Regional performers will kick-off the all-day praise event, inspiring festivalgoers in the morning prior to introducing the national tour headliners. The 2018 local lineup will feature gospel stage veterans such as Holman United Methodist’s Jubilant Voices, West Angeles “New Generation” Choir, FAME Unity Choir and the Inland Empire Choir, as well as new acts like Esther and Shari Demby.
Joining the local lineup will be a select group of national artists, which includes major names like Paul Porter of The Christianaires, Geneen White, Renee Spearman, Brent Jones, The Williams Singers, Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, Bishop Neal Roberson and April May.
Popular Christian comedian J-Red and KJLH-FM “Spread the Word” host Aundrae Russell will once again be co-hosting the highly anticipated local portion of the show.
Members of the Southern California chapter of the Black McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA) have been instrumental in bringing together local and national talent to perform on the Brenda Marsh-Mitchell Gospel stage, and the resulting shows have only proven to get better with each passing year.
To help enlist top local talent and co-produce the unique, inspiring event, McDonald’s has partnered once more with Ricardo Mowatt of Mowatt Entertainment and Pastor Kelvin Sauls. “Taste of Soul is a powerful platform for the culmination of the annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour, and an extraordinary highlight for the entire local and national team involved in putting on the Brenda Marsh-Mitchell Gospel Stage,” states Pastor Sauls. “It’s a day where we can celebrate our shared passion and appreciation for gospel music on a grand scale with the whole community by moving God’s message of love, peace, hope and healing from the pulpit and the pew to the pavement,” he adds. “We’re grateful for the ongoing support, collaboration and participation of several congregations from Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Come join us for a phenomenal ‘church-without-walls’ experience!”
McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is just one of the ways the brand displays its commitment to changing for the better, by continuing to bring messages of hope and inspiration to its customers through this free, extended concert series. For nearly 50 years, BMOA members have given back to their communities by providing scholarships, donating time and money to local schools and hiring minority youth. In the restaurants, Operators provide world-class training to thousands of local employees while supporting their career aspirations.
Just this year, McDonald’s Corporation announced an allocation of $150 million to its global Archways to Opportunity education program. This program would provide almost 400,000 U.S. restaurant employees with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma, receive upfront college tuition assistance, access free education advising services and learn English as a second language. The Company has also extended Online High School and College Advisory services to restaurant employees’ family members.
BMOA members also lead a variety of philanthropic efforts, including supporting McDonald’s longtime mission partners, Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®). This year’s tour will again support the Southern California chapter and its six Ronald McDonald Houses located throughout the region. Every penny raised will stay in the local community, directly supporting families who need a home away from home as their ill child undergoes lifesaving medical treatment.
To learn more about the 13th Annual Taste of Soul and ICGT’s return to the Brenda Marsh-Mitchell Gospel Stage, visit tasteofsoul.org.
