This years featured artist at Praising in the Park 2010 will be Polk County native Shaluandia (Lana) May Thomas of Washington, D.C. Praising in the Park has been set for September 25 at 4 p.m. in Tryons Rogers Park. Its organizers say they are expecting it to be a great family and community affair.&bsp; This is the third consecutive year for this event.

Lana started singing publicly at age 10. Adding to her repertoire, she later began to play the piano and became the musician for the Sunbeam Choir of the Green Creek Missionary Baptist.&bsp; Thereafter she served as the musician for the Green Creek Community Mass Choir and other local choirs and groups in both North and South Carolina. After graduating from Polk Central High School in 1984, she studied aboard in Meximeux, France.&bsp; Upon her return after that summer, she attended Kings College in Charlotte, N.C.

Lana has performed background vocals and sung with some gospel greats such as John P. Kee, Yolanda Adams, and Vickie Winans. She is married to Stellar Award Winner and BMI Christian Award Winner Isaiah D. Thomas and the couple has three sons.

Lana now travels the country with her husband and sings backgrounds with the national recording artist Isaiah Thomas and the Elements of Praise. (www.Isaiahdthomas.com) Lana credits being raised in a Christian home with her late grandmother, Rev. Julie M. Twitty and Rev.Velma Logan for much of her success today.

She is traveling home for this event and says she is most excited about the opportunity to see old friends, former classmates, and family. She says she wants this event to serve as a big family reunion. Lana is the daughter of Mrs. Jennie Smith and stepdaughter of Mr. Franklin Smith of Green Creek, N.C.

Praising in the Park is funded by the Polk County Community Foundations Rogers Park Grant and sponsored by the Unity in the Community Organization.

Look for more details and a full list of other performing artists, in future editions of the Tryon Daily Bulletin.