More than 800 attend Community Education’s annual field day

While they stood nearly twice as tall as the kids who caught their plastic footballs, the members of the Greenwood High School football team said it was hard to believe they were considered the “big kids.”

During the 12th annual Stand for Children Day at Western Kentucky University’s South Lawn, the players joined 100 other volunteers in providing more than 800 children an opportunity to play and learn about the opportunities and challenges around them. The annual event – sponsored by Community Education, the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club and American Bank & Trust – is held each year to recognize children and raise community awareness about issues facing kids.

Seventeen-year-old Logan Steff, a senior at Greenwood, held the ends of a giant rainbow parachute and helped a group of day care children bounce a ball around the waving material.

“The kids look up to you like you’re the big guy,” he said. “It’s humbling.”

Wearing his bright green football jersey, the student said he realized quickly that he was doing more than just volunteering at the field day, he was serving as a role model. While helping some of the kids with a corn hole game, he said one of the teachers came up and told him there was a little boy who wanted to talk to him. He said the boy was shy but asked him about video games.

“It makes it mean more to know you’re influencing kids,” he said. “We’re out here having a good time and we don’t have to do anything but spend time with them … and it makes a difference.”

Nearly 50 booths from area organizations from LifeSkills to Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana featured face painting, balloon animals or games. They passed out snacks and backpacks while many gave adults information about children-related issues such as Internet safety and autism programs.

Kristen Porter, 8, and Brooklyn Sabara, 9, came to the event with Eagle Rock day camp sponsored by Community Action.

They each donned a large Band-Aid on their arms but explained that the Red Cross officials had painted a “boo boo” on their arms and shown them how to bandage it.

“I have enjoyed going to all the booths and learning what each one does,” Kristen said. “But my favorite part was the American Red Cross paint station.”

High-energy dance music had kids standing in line for face paint hopping in place and criss-crossing their tiny tennis shoes with excitement.

Even though the mist fans never quite made it to the mini carnival, Community Education enrichment coordinator Anne Grubbs said the overcast conditions and breeze made it the perfect day for outside activities without rain or excess heat, and helped draw even more children and organizations than in previous years.

“Even though we’ve had little sprinklets here and there, it’s been like a giant mist fan,” said Debi Jordan, executive director of Community Education. “It’s been a success.”

But 6-year-old Jerrian Harris, who stood patiently in line to have a pair of black dog whiskers painted on her tiny cheeks, couldn’t wait to tell her family all about the fun activities she did.

“This was the best day of my life,” she said. “It’s just so much fun.”

 

Baker, Joanie (2009, June). Event gives public a chance to learn about issues facing kids. Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/event-gives-public-a-chance-to-learn-about-issues-facing/article_87fbfa8e-eb0f-5627-bdaf-17505c68a244.html