Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas (BGCD) celebrated Day for Kids, a national Boys & Girls Club (BGC) event, Saturday, September 20, 2014 at Celebration Station in Mesquite, Texas. Thousands of parents and kids participated in the annual event, which celebrated the value of meaningful time spent between caring adults and children. Day for Kids is a national initiative started by Boys & Girls Club of America in order to advocate for youth and to celebrate the life-changing work taking place at Boys & Girls Clubs. It is celebrated by Boys & Girls Clubs all over the country and is held each year in September.
“Day for Kids was created to foster stronger relationships between adults and children by educating them on the importance and value of spending meaningful time together,” says Charles English, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. “Day for Kids provided the opportunity for every adult to take a break, celebrate and renew their commitment to our community’s children.
Day for Kids kicked off with an opening performance by Genyration Band and a welcome from Chairman of the Board of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, Christopher Trowbridge. Mesquite’s mayor, John Monaca, graciously gave remarks and read a proclamation. Charles English, President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, then took the stage to introduce the national and local sponsors, special guests and steering committee. He recognized title sponsors, which included: Coca-Cola Bottling; ADT; Radio Disney; Walmart; NCL; The Gap; AT&T; EZ CORP; Atlantic Housing; NBC; Ross; Amerigroup; City of Mesquite; City of Dallas; 3M; Frito Lay; Mesquite Police Department and City of Balch Springs. Lastly, District Manager for Celebration Station Ted Marek provided remarks, and the Boys & Girls Clubs Day for Kids Pledge was taken by all in attendance, which states “We pledge to spend meaningful time together to talk, to listen, to learn and play, to share a moment, create a memory and make a kid’s day.”
Jay Jenson of Radio Disney served as master of ceremonies and introduced special guests and local entertainers from all over the Dallas community. Performances ranged from dancers to guitar soloists. A variety of activities such as face painting, arcade games, refreshments, boat races and rock climbing were available for the kids and adults to enjoy. Guests also played Triple Play Activities, a health and wellness program designed to empower young people to make informed decisions about their physical, mental and social well-being.
About Day for Kids
Unlike most other industrialized nations, the United States is one of the few nations that does not have an official day set aside to honor its young people. Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is spearheading a national effort to establish BGC Day for Kids as an “official day” on the National Calendar. While Day for Kids was created to bring attention to the messages of meaningful time spent with kids for one day in September, in reality, every day should be a day for kids. A survey conducted this summer of more than 1,500 Boys & Girls Club members from across the nation identified how adults and children define meaningful time. The results revealed that 78 percent of children feel they do spend enough meaningful time with their parents. To assist parents, practitioners and other caring adults, BGCA has created engaging educational resources to help them encourageand develop positive relationships with kids. A year-round website, www.dayforkids.org, provides tools, resources and tips that support their interactions with young people.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas
For 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas has enabled all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Programming in three core areas meets the diverse needs and interests of their 6,000 Club members. These core areas include Academic Success, Good Character & Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles. For more information, please contact Regina Fonts Morris at 214.821.2950 ext. 732, rmorris@bgcdallas.org or visit www.bgcdallas.org.