Kereiakes Park plays host to annual Stand for Children event

Saturday, June 19, 2004

A sea of children dressed in brightly colored T-shirts ran eagerly to an open space at Kereiakes Park on Friday morning, where they lined up to await instructions.

They didnt have to wait long.

Slide to the left, slide to the right, called out the rapper on Cha Cha Slide. Take it back now, yall, cha cha now, yall.

It was one of several activities during American Bank and Trusts Stand for Children Day. Other activities included face painting, art projects, games, local celebrities reading to the participants, a tour of a fire engine, performances by the Bowling Green Public Librarys Storytelling and Drama Troupe and a visit from the librarys mobile branch.

This event focuses on the children the ultimate resource of the community, said Debi Jordan, executive director for Bowling Green-Warren County Community Education, which organizes the event. They are our future. If we dont make sure they have a good environment, then we short-change not only our community, but them as well.

Anne Grubbs, Community Education enrichment coordinator, agreed.

We want to highlight the needs of the children so that they will grow up to be productive citizens and keep Bowling Green going.

The theme Extra! Extra! Read All About It! was chosen to promote literacy, Grubbs said. Many of the organizations donated books to the event.

Reading, understanding and communication are the keys to life, she said. If children cant read, they suffer.

Grubbs estimated that because of overcast skies the crowd may have been down slightly from the 500 that came last year.

There are still children coming in, though, she said as she watched more children get off buses.

In one section of the park, Tennessee Valley Authority Police Officer Glenn Davis talked to a group of youngsters from Western Kentucky University Campus Child Care about water safety. Davis, who works at Kentucky Lake, showed the children life jackets for children and adults and explained the importance of wearing them.

This one wouldnt do me any good, he said as he held up the child-sized life jacket. Im a whole lot bigger than that.

Davis said its important that children know they should wear a life jacket, especially since its state law that children under 12 must wear one on a moving boat. He wants to prevent drownings, especially since Kentucky Lake has had more this year than in the past two years combined.

Weve had six this year, he said after the young children moved on to another activity. Most of them have been accidents. If some of them had had on life jackets, they may have been hurt, but they would not have drowned.

The children from WKU Campus Child Care each tried on the adult-sized life jacket and seemed to enjoy the experience even if it wasnt their favorite part of the day.

I got a tattoo, 4-year-old Jansen Gough said as he showed off the red fish rub-on tattoo on the back of his hand.

A smiling Sydney Simpson, 5, showed off her bag of goodies which included crayons, coloring sheets and a bag of Smarties candy. She had a yellow smiley face painted on her face and a multicolored heart tattooed on her hand.

She said her favorite part of Stand for Children had been her face and her tattoo.

Their preschool teacher, Kristine Kie, said she was happy to take her group of eight children to the event.

I want them to be aware of safety programs, she said. Were here to have fun, too.

In another part of the park, a group of older children from Community Educations Super Summer Club at Cumberland Trace were standing in line to get tattoos.

We were sponsoring it, Leslie Sanderfur, a counselor with the Super Summer Club at Cumberland Trace, said. Weve done the Cha Cha Slide, face painting and reading so far.

Sydney Wingo, 10, and Kelsey Hiatt, 11, came with the group from Cumberland Trace and said that this years event was more fun than last years.

Last year they played old songs, Kelsey said. This year theyre playing new songs.

I liked the dancing, Sydney said. Its a good way to express your dance emotions.  Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700