Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas (BGCD) celebrated Day for Kids, a national Boys & Girls Club (BGC) event on September 20 at Celebration Station in Mesquite. 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.