Perry High School alumni group banned after hosting tailgate event 

PERRY — The City of Perry banned a Perry High School alumnus from hosting events after an alumni tailgate earlier this month. The organizer is now aiming to communicate with the city and clear his name. 

Kirenski Wilkerson hosted the event on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Heritage Oaks Park. He said the event was a success and still receives positive feedback on social media. 

It was a tailgate-style event, where people set up tents, had grills and coolers, music and different giveaways. Attendees collected funds for a high school student scholarship, Wilkerson said. 

However, a few days later, Wilkerson received an email from Public Works Secretary Jacques Whitfield saying he was prohibited from renting city facilities and hosting events at city properties. 

The email says the decision was based on several factors, including misrepresentation of the event and its scope, violations of park rules like early setup and littering, and damage to city property. 

The night of the event, Wilkerson said he made sure to tell attendees to clean up their area and stayed to help put the trash in a centralized location. 

“I wanted to make sure that they see, as an organizer, I’m actually giving back and making sure I’m trying to uphold my part and also helping out cleaning the park, because at the end of the day, I never wanted anything negative to come from that,” Wilkerson said.

The Heritage Oaks Park Rental agreement said: “Limited trash containers will be provided; renters must ensure that all garbage and refuse is placed in these containers or disposed of off-site.”

Wilkerson shared he also met with city workers and had a positive conversation with an employee about ways to improve the event next year, including having dumpsters on site. He believes there was no way to avoid littering because at every event, people will unintentionally drop trash. 

He was then told there would be concerns from City Manager Robert Smith, but it could be worked on. Wilkerson was also told there would be a damage deposit of $300, which he had no problem paying the following day. 

Once Wilkerson submitted the deposit, he sent an email to let the city know he was aware of the allegations, but he was willing to talk with them to resolve those issues. He also wanted to work on solutions, as he was already planning next year’s tailgate.

In the email, he said he wanted to work on building a relationship with the city after hearing positive feedback from the event. 

Other issues the city had were attendees parking within the concrete loop and outside the parking area. According to the Heritage Oaks Park rental agreement, it says: 

“Parking is permitted in paved parking areas only. Parking in overflow parking areas must be requested and approved prior to the event date. Following approval, an overflow parking map will be provided. Overnight parking in the park is prohibited.”

Wilkerson said it rained the night before, meaning there were weak spots around the park, creating muddy areas. He shared that people did not intentionally drive through the mud to cause damage to the grass and soil. 

Wilkerson suggested the city mark off those areas for attendees to maneuver throughout the park. 

“I felt as an organizer that wasn’t my control and, naturally, people are going to park where they see other people park. I look at it as a domino effect,” he said. 

Wilkerson also said he did not expect a large turnout. 

Whitfield sent an additional email noting other issues, including:

• Damage to the sod and landscaping throughout the park
• Damage to the cement stage caused by a vehicle or event-related activities
• Litter and debris are scattered across the park grounds
• Tents, chairs, and tables not removed on the day of the event and removed the following day.

The day of the event, people started to set up tents early, which was another concern the city had. Wilkerson informed attendees that if they wanted to reserve their spots, they could start in the morning. The event started in the afternoon, and could also be set up then. He said, unfortunately, people started setting up at approximately 8 a.m., which he believed would not be a problem. He said he called the city to inform them in case they had any questions. However, he felt it was not an issue since he rented the park, but it was still open to the public. Wilkerson also called the city multiple times on Friday, but did not receive a response. 

Wilkerson said he felt ignored by the city when he first requested an in-person meeting with Public Works Superintendent Ansley White. In an email, she said: 

“We have met internally to review the event and the conclusion is that our city parks aren’t equipped or provided for these types of gatherings in the future…I will go ahead and let you know that we will not approve this event in this space in the future.”

Wilkerson felt the city’s approach was to let the situation die down and move on. Now, Wilkerson feels his name is being tampered with. 

“I’m not going to move on because at the end of the day, I’m from Perry. I went to elementary, middle school, [and] high school in Perry,” he said. “I have ties, I have family there [and] I have resources there. I can’t move on knowing that I’m being banned from having a successful event. That was an event for the community and for the people; not only just for the alumni of Perry High School. It was for the overall community.”

Wilkerson started planning the event in September, and his goal was to include as many Perry High School alumni as possible, especially the class of 1970, since it was the first integrated class. He then created a Facebook group, and people from different classes started to join. To help spread the word about the alumni tailgate, he asked people if they wanted to volunteer as a class representative. He considered them his “middle person” and would contact them when he started working on the event’s logistics. 

Originally, the event was going to be held at Perry High School. However, people talked to him about Heritage Oaks Park. Wilkerson started to do research about the park and decided it would be a great fit. 

He then presented his proposal to Smith, who loved the idea and approved moving forward. 

Other Perry High School alumni have felt disappointed about the situation, Wilkerson said. When he received the email, he did not share it at first because he wanted to work behind the scenes. He ultimately decided to share it on social media in hopes that the situation would get resolved. 

“I felt like it was appropriate for me to let the overall alumni, the community [and] let everybody know. Once I shared the information, it literally went viral. That to me showed me how much impact that event had on the community,” he said. 

Wilkerson aimed to partner with the city and the Houston County Board of Education to make it an official event. He said people feel hurt that the goal may not be achieved. 

According to Wilkerson, there is a meeting scheduled next week with the city, and he hopes the situation will be resolved. He is asking the city for grace, since it is the first time he has hosted the event. 

“If that don’t go anywhere, I just don’t know. I honestly don’t know what my next step would be. It’s very emotional knowing that, [but] I’m hopeful,” he said. “I would love for the city to give me grace, but we don’t know. I would love to keep presenting this opportunity with the city as we move forward. But, I really don’t know.” 

The City of Perry released the following statement: 

“The City of Perry is committed to protecting our parks and ensuring they remain clean, safe, and enjoyable for all residents. Following the recent Perry High School Alumni Tailgating Event at Heritage Oaks Park, City staff documented significant violations of the rental agreement and damage to City property.

Attendees began setting up several hours before the approved rental period. Vehicles were parked throughout the lawn, prohibited by park rules by the posted sign on the property, resulting in damage to turf, landscaping, and irrigation lines. Large amounts of trash, including glass bottles, were left onsite, requiring staff to respond overtime for cleanup. Tents and tables were also left overnight in violation of posted park rules.

All rental groups are held to the same standards. Decisions are based solely on compliance with park rules, the impact on City property, and the resources required to address violations.

Heritage Oaks Park is a significant community investment, and the City must preserve it for equitable, long-term public use. Based on the extent of the violations and damage, the group will not be approved to host this event at the park next year.”