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11/1/2008 - Celebrating our ChildrenCelebrating our Children by Clare Van Loon Redlands values its heritage, its historic homes and its traditions. Besides our focus on the past, Redlands also looks to the future. One of the ways we do this is by placing a priority on one of our most valuable assets: our children. Two local organizations – the Boys and Girls Club of Redlands and the Kiwanis of Redlands – will showcase this concern in our community with events in September and October. “Unlike many other countries, America does not have an official day to celebrate its children,” according to the official website of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BCGA). In an effort to change that, BGCA sponsors a nation-wide observance called Day for Kids, to be held this year on Saturday, September 20. This year’s Redlands festivities will be a beach themed block party. Mark Davis, Director of Program Services for the Boys and Girls Club of Redlands, indicated that this day would indeed be special. Davis emphasizes that BCGA “really wanted to celebrate kids and families.” To help accomplish this, a portion of Clay Street, adjacent to the Club’s brand-new building at 1251 Clay Street, will be closed to vehicle traffic from noon to 4:00 p.m. to make room for face painting, arts and crafts, water games, limbo, a watermelon relay, and bobbing for pineapple rings, to name just some of the planned activities. In addition to the fun activities, there will be enough food to feed 200 people, kids first, and free t-shirts for the first 100 children to arrive. The Redlands Police Department will fingerprint children whose parents areinterested; the Fire Department will be on hand for up-close and personal contact with their equipment and personnel; and a volunteer optometrist and a local dentist will screen children at no charge. With local businesses also involved and tours of the Club’s brand new building to take, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Best of all, the event is free. To obtain more information about the BGCA Day for Kids event, visit their website, www.bgca. org, or call the Redlands club at 798-4599. Kiwanis clubs around the world sponsor Kiwanis Kids’ Day each year as a time to honor the boys and girls of the community as the leaders of tomorrow. On Sunday, October 19, from noon to 3:00 p.m., The Redlands Kiwanis Club will stage their 15th annual Celebration of Childhood. Also attended by the Redlands Police and Fire Departments, the Celebration presents activities, games and information geared to young children up to age eleven and their families. The Celebration of Childhood will be located on State Street, between Orange and Seventh streets, in downtown Redlands. Expect to witness two shows by Dance Horizons; enjoy family-oriented entertainment by Jeff, The Blond Curly- Haired Magician; and experience the wonder of handcrafted puppets by Scott Land Marionettes. The show schedule appears on the Kiwanis-sponsored website, www.redlandsevents.com. Rounding out the amusement and entertainment, a selection of Redlands-based public service agencies and schools will be in attendance to furnish information to parents. The event stems from Kiwanis International’s “Young Children: Priority One” campaign, and has been put on by the Kiwanis Club of Redlands since 1994. Both the September and October events promise to provide family-focused activities in an atmosphere that emphasizes the value of each and every child. Both are on their way to becoming two more fine Redlands traditions.
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