Maricopa’s 2nd annual Kids Day a success

Maricopa’s 2nd annual Kids Day International was held at Maricopa Wells Middle School Saturday with about 300 parents and children in attendance.

The focus of Kids Day is to provide important information on health, child safety and environmental awareness. Dr. John Donohue, of A-1 Health and Wellness in Maricopa, hosted the event with sponsors like Maricopa Ace Hardware, Orbitel, Native New Yorker, Global Water and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Although attendance was down from last year, according to Kids Day volunteer George Aguon, many local groups participated in the live entertainment, presented at intervals throughout the day. They included: Peers as Leaders, the Sunshine Generation singing group, Desert Star Gymnastics, OLC Schools of the Arts and Living Water Church of the Nazarene.

Many different booths were set up around the room for both sponsors of the event and fun activities like face painting and crafts. Judge Scott Sulley had a booth to provide kids with information about the court system.

Several MPD Explorers fingerprinted children, and Amy Jamieson was at her booth taking the children’s photographs for the identification cards, all free of charge. Farmers Insurance Agent Wendy Duncan provided all of the fingerprinting materials.

MPD spokesperson Sergeant Stephen Judd said, “Fingerprinting is very popular; parents are always eager to have some additional protection in case of emergency. It’s very successful for awareness for children and for themselves; if you get your child fingerprinted, they get a chance to talk about that kind of stuff. The child asks why did I have to get fingerprinted – in case you get lost, or if something happens, it will help police find you. Then that opens conversation about stranger danger, abductions and about people who may want to hurt you. It helps kids learn about those kinds of things.”

ECO, Inc.- Recycling Association of Maricopa had several tables set up to educate youth and adults alike on the importance of recycling, and how it comes full circle. Gina D’Abella, who heads ECO, Inc., said, “What we do is show the children what is made from recycling.” She had a variety of items that were manufactured from reclaimed garbage, from t-shirts to Frisbees and even building materials made from newspapers.

Amy Bratlie, Desert Star Gymnastics owner, had a booth set up, and her gymnasts performed on stage. Bratlie said, “This is our second year doing Kids Day. We donated to them, as we do with many of the non-profits here. We try to donate to help the community as well as the kids in the community.”

“I love everyone getting together to do this. We want to make it bigger and bigger. It’s nice that all the businesses get together, donating food or prizes. There are a lot of people out there who don’t have too much, and they really need something to come to. There are a lot of things to do, but we try to make this something that’s free and informative. Kids can get a lot out of it and not worry about spending money,” said Donohue.

Abe and Megan Graves, along with their two-and-a-half-year-old son Hudson, were among the many who came. Graves said, “We try to come to out to all the events to show a little community support. There are a lot of local organizations that come, and it’s good to know what’s out there. There are a lot of great things here, and it’s a good way to get involved. Also we thought it would be fun for our son to see the fire trucks and police cars.”

Mayor Anthony Smith recently signed a proclamation declaring September 20 as Kids Day America/International in the city of Maricopa. “This is the second annual event; the first one I was surprised that so much of the community came out. When we have something going on in Maricopa with children, it’s always going to be a success. We are truly a family-oriented community, and, now that I’ve come here a second year, I see additional things happening and community involvement. I think even the third and the fifth, as we progress along, are going to keep getting bigger,” he said.

I’m so happy that a lot of the community has taken hold and are providing services for kids. We need to continue to grow that,” added Smith.

Photos by Brandi Stange and Joyce Hollis