MAYS-FERSNER FAMILY REUNION 2026 Together We Rise!

If you're reading this, you've already done the first thing right: You showed up on the Together We Rise 2026 website.

So here's the real question: What are you waiting for?

Not "one day." Not "when things slow down." Not "after I see who else is going."

Because life doesn't pause — work, bills, stress, grief, distractions… and yes, the kind of social media noise that can turn a small misunderstanding into years of distance.

This reunion is us choosing something different. It's an invitation to every branch of the tree that William and Emma planted — every cousin, every auntie, every uncle, every grandchild — no matter what last name you carry today. The name may have changed, but the blood never does. 

THIS ISN'T JUST A TRIP. IT'S A RESET.

Our family legacy runs deep — built through generations, rooted in resilience, reaching back before 1865. We honor the shoulders we stand on: the matriarchs, patriarchs, and the family builders who kept our story alive.

Today, that legacy is being carried forward by family members who are putting in real work — Daniel Mays Jr., D. Anthony Mays III, Roger Elhodge Mays, Sandra Green, Juanese Brown, John Mays, Gladys Robinson, Sandra Morene, Alfonso Mays — and many more who are helping move this vision from idea to reality.

And we're doing it in July 2026 — as America celebrates 250 years. Our ancestors helped build this country. We have every right to celebrate too and Myrtle Beach is the place to do it! 

GEN Z + MILLENNIALS: THIS IS NOT "BORING REUNION ENERGY."

Let's be real: a lot of younger families don't show up because it feels like the same old script — older folks running everything, nothing feels fresh, and it doesn't feel like yours.

That's not what we're building.

Together We Rise is multigenerational — and it needs your fingerprints on it.

Your music. Your humor. Your creativity. Your ideas. Your content. Your leadership.

This isn't "come sit down and behave."

This is "pull up and bring the vibe."

THE TORCH IS BEING PASSED.

We are your elders. We have carried this family's story for decades — through the records, the reunions, the searching, the remembering.

Now we are passing the torch to you.

Not because we're done — but because this legacy was never meant to rest on one generation's shoulders alone.

We have watched this family spread across this nation. We have seen the distance grow. We have felt the silence between the branches.

And we are asking you — our children, grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, our young people — what are YOU going to do with what we're handing you?

Will you run with it?

Or will you let the names fade. Let the stories die. Let the connections disappear until no one remembers where they came from or who their people are.

The choice is yours. The torch is in the air.

And we're not asking you to do it the way we did.

New city. New format. New energy. New traditions.

Make it yours. Make it fresh. Make it something the next generation can't wait to show up for.

Just don't let it die!

— Your Elders

"I DON'T KNOW THOSE PEOPLE."

We need to talk about this.

Because here's the truth: You do know those people. You share the same bloodline. The same ancestors. The same roots.

The reason we feel like strangers is that somewhere along the way, distance crept in — miles, years, silence, misunderstandings. But blood doesn't expire. Legacy doesn't forget you just because life got busy.

That cousin you've never met? They look like your grandmother. That elder you've been avoiding? They're carrying stories about YOUR great-grandparents that will die with them if nobody asks.

You're not a stranger to this family. You're a missing piece.

YOU'RE ALREADY ON THE SITE — TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

Right now, while you're here:

✅ Explore your package options

✅ Book your room

✅ Join a committee or volunteer your talent

No matter how you're related — by blood, by marriage, or by love — pass the word.

Text a cousin. Call an auntie. Hit the group chat. Forward the link. Tag somebody who's always "out of the loop."

AND WHEN THE REUNION IS OVER? THE WORK DOESN'T STOP.

This isn't a one-weekend event. It never has been.

Long after the dinner dance ends and everyone heads home, there are family members who keep going — spending their own time and money, digging through records, searching archives, and chasing down every thread they can find to keep this legacy alive and growing. 

They do it because every name they uncover is a person who deserves to be remembered. Every photo found is someone's mother, father, grandfather, auntie, or cousin. The point is, every document recovered is proof that we were here — that we mattered.

And the Heritage Book?

That's not just a keepsake. It's a record. A living document of who we are and where we come from. When you don't submit your family information, you're not just leaving out your name — you're leaving your children out of the story, and their children. You're leaving your parents out of the story. You're letting your branch of this tree go undocumented.

That's not just a missed opportunity. It's a disrespect to the ancestors who fought to make sure you exist.

So update your information. Submit your photos. Tell your story.

Because your branch of this family matters — and it belongs in the record.

The moment you commit, you're not just attending a reunion…

You're helping rebuild the connection.

You're helping heal old distance.

You're helping strengthen a legacy.

Together We Rise!