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Community Partnership program kids enjoy big 'Fun Day' at Booker Center
The staff and some parents and children began gathering before 10 a.m. even though many of them had participated in the Relay for Life on the previous night. The Fun Day actually began at 11 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. Approximately 150 children, parents, family members, staffers, mentors, and friends were in attendance. Horace Jordan, director; Dorothy Jordan, youth development coordinator; and Jackie Davis, tutor and mentor; had spent most of Friday afternoon and evening shopping and preparing for this big annual event for the children. "We will have our Fun Day today;" Mr. Jordan declared, "The weather will be fine." And it was! Shortly before noon the campus exploded into an array of fun-filled laughter, games, grilling, gathering, and play, the clouds could not suppress the excitement - it was ON! The agenda for the day included a gigantic water slide, a moon walk, three-legged races, egg races, basketball, softball, volleyball, kickball, cards, and other games. However, the highlight of the day was the "Wedding Party" fashion show which consisted of male tuxedoed escorts and grooms, along with brides and bridesmaids adorned in beautiful "plastic" gowns designed by the A-STAR Staff. Each of the five A-STAR sites (Baltimore, Harper Street, Reese Booker, Tignall, and Washington Heights) competed for the title of "Miss A-STAR Bride" and "Miss ASTAR Bridesmaid." The judges were Delores Gordon and Betty Shephard. The winners were Little Miss Jemi Davis for the most beautiful AJane STAR Bride, and Little Miss Brittany Gresham for the most beautiful A-STAR Bridesmaid. However, they were all beautiful. Grant Rainey was the chef for the day. On the menu were grilled hotdogs and hamburgers with cheese, chips, juice, cookies, and soda. The parents and other adults enjoyed a Focus Group Session with PurePotential's Michael Bright. Bright shared information about community collaboration and the local sponsoring agency, Wilkes County Community Partnership. The Focus Group gave the parents an opportunity to influence community planning. He commented that, "Challenges can sweep children away; we must adopt philosophies that protect children in all dimensions of their lives physically, emotionally intellectually, and socially." The Wilkes County Community Partnership executive director, Carolyn Reynolds, shared in the Fun Day experience. Her duties and responsibilities included everything from introducing guests to monitoring the waterslide play and tallying the judges' bride and bridesmaid scores. "This is an opportunity for our children and families to fellowship and have big fun in a structured and safe environment; we want to reward them and the A-STAR Staff for their hard work and dedication during the school year," Reynolds commented.
For more information about the various programs and the function of the Wilkes County Community Partnership, please contact Reynolds at 706-678-7570.
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