Thursday, June 3, 2010

“Kiwanis day in park is all about kids” plus 1 more

“Kiwanis day in park is all about kids” plus 1 more

Kiwanis day in park is all about kids

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 04:00 AM PDT

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Kids will take over Garden City Park Saturday when the Garden City Kiwanis Club stages its third annual Kids Day in the Park.

Open to youngsters ages 3-11, this year's Kids Day is a partnership between the Kiwanis, Garden City Parks and Recreation Department and Garden City Hospital's Healthy Kids Initiative.

"It's a day to celebrate children," said Kiwanis member Peggy Burklow.

There will be inflatable bouncers, a rock climbing wall, face painting, kids games, cookie decorating, demonstrations by the police and fire departments, PKSA Karate, clowns and entertainment.

"The Red Hats will be here for children to decorate hats and the Merriman Road Baptist Church children's choir will perform," said Burklow. "We'll also have a Wunderground magician and an interactive stranger danger program."

At 11 a.m., children will gather at the park's play area near Merriman for a Celebration Wrap-Up Ceremony and ground breaking for a new playscape, funded through the efforts of elementary school children and businesses in the community as part of the Healthy Kids: Making a Difference One Step at a Time.

A cooperative effort of Garden City Hospital, the Garden City Chamber of Commerce and Garden City public and parochial schools, the initiative taught elementary students the values of a healthy lifestyle by promoting good eating habits, exercise and good citizenship through a fund-raiser designed to benefit the community and improve City Park.

Each student received a pedometer in April and was taught how to use it log their daily steps while raising money to support construction of the playscape. The goal was $40,000. The ground breaking ceremony will celebrate a job well done by the kids.

Among the youngsters, the top fund-raisers are Jacob Pennington of Farmington Elementary, Haleigh Maszatics of Memorial Elementary, Victoria Sheppard of Lathers Elementary, Steven Davis of Douglas Elementary, Sonya Crane of Henry Ruff and Hayley Jacobi of St. Raphael School.

Gary Ley, CEO and president of Garden City Hospital, School Superintendent Michelle Cline, Jon Campbell, owner of McDonald's of Garden City and a major contributor, and Garden City Mayor Randy Walker will be on hand for the ceremony. Also there will be Dawn Fry of Family Heating, Cooling and Electrical which has donated two iPods that will be raffled off during the day.

Kiwanis Kids Day in the Park costs $5 per child, and proceeds will support children's programs in Garden City. Food also will be available for an additional charge.

smason@hometownlife.com | (313) 222-6751

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Kids play ball in summer

Posted: 02 Jun 2010 10:48 PM PDT

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Summer in Philipsburg is child's play.

Okay, fine, summer is technically a couple of weeks away, but that's hard to see when everywhere you turn, kids are having the time of their lives.

Philipsburg and its neighbors offer a treasure trove of opportunities for kids to have a ball outside. Any kind of ball, actually. From the baseball diamonds at Powerhouse Fields and Fairview Park in Decatur Township to the soccer greens at Project 70 and the Grange in Morris Township, warm weather sees kids of all ages, all sizes, all athletic abilities exploring the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat with the swing of a bat and the bounce of a ball.

We have known organized teams that did great things, like the Hurricane girls who play some mean softball, and just might grow up to be like the traditionally powerpacked Philipsburg-Osceola Lady Mounties. We've known fantastic individual players, like Brian Pelka, who graduated from P-O in 1989 and came to the Pittsburgh Pirates' attention two years later, and Jon Condo, who might be playing in the NFL now but shed sweat and blood on every patch of grass the Moshannon Valley offered.

But beyond that is something more important. The small games. The practices. The kids who are just learning to play.

I just watched my 8-year-old nephew run around the West Branch soccer fields, scoring goals and tumbling in the grass. He was good. Someday he might be great. But for now, he's having fun. He's playing with his friends, He's having water fights on the sidelines, and shaking hands with the other team and saying "Good game!" whether he won or lost.

People might learn to be athletes in college, learn to be great athletes in the minors. But on these fields, kids learn how to play. It's a lifelong skill, one they can pass on to their own kids.

And I can't wait for my son to take his turn on that grass, whether he's a future all-star or the bored kid in the outfield who accidentally catches the gamewinner when he's not looking.

Lori Falce writes this weekly column featuring news in the Rush Township/ Philipsburg area. Send comments to sendlorinews@gmail.com.

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