More than 40 local organizations, businesses to provide information about safety, literacy, other issues

It’s not expected to rain Wednesday, but Community Education will be pulling out an umbrella of children’s awareness issues at the 12th annual Stand for Children Day.

Today marked the official ribbon cutting and proclamation reading that declared this week Stand for Children week, with a variety of community sponsors reading to children in day cares to promote mentoring and sharing with local children.

Anne Grubbs, Community Education enrichment coordinator, said the event, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Western Kentucky University’s South Lawn, will be a chance for the entire community to learn about some of the issues facing children while the kids themselves will have a place to play and be entertained.

“This is kind of a reminder that the next generation is who we go to work for every day,” Grubbs said.

More than 40 local organizations and businesses will be on site providing information about children’s safety, literacy and other issues.

Children will have the opportunity to have their faces painted and bodies tattooed while the large field will be turned into a general play area. While supplies last, all children will receive a free drawstring backpack and can win prizes participating in a scavenger hunt sponsored by the Warren County Library.

The theme of this year’s event is “Everybody CAN Help,” and vendors and attendees are asked to bring canned goods to help re-stock area food banks for the summer.

“This is to remind kids that they can do something to help, too,” Grubbs said. “They can just pick up one can at the grocery store and can help someone else.”

Grubbs said more than 1,000 children attend the annual event from day cares, summer camps, family activities and neighborhood play groups.

Sponsored by the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club and American Bank & Trust, Grubbs said the event has expanded to include local businesses such as Home Depot and Macy’s. Other groups, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, Family Enrichment and Kids on the Block, will also be on site to hand out information about preventing child abuse and mentoring.

“It’s come to be accepted and part of the community,” Grubbs said. “We’re in such hard financial times, but the people in the community and local businesses have really turned out to support this because they realize how important it really is.”

 

Baker, Joanie (2009, June). Stand for Kids Day promotes awareness. Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/stand-for-kids-day-promotes-awareness/article_5b65a7cd-9656-578a-b1d8-bf78eb7b8750.html