After nearly three years of planning and joined by 18 community minded non-profit organizations, the highly successful first event was held in Downtown Port Arthur in February 1993. It is hailed by many as the catalyst that began a resurgence of downtown Port Arthur. The purposes envisioned by the founders were to benefit the member non-profit groups, to stage a family oriented affair, to promote
interaction among diverse ethnic groups, to promote racial harmony and to serve as an economic development project for Southeast Texas. received its non-profit Charter from the State of Texas on February 18, 1992 and the non-profit status was then confirmed by the Internal Revenue Service.