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How do you tell a 20 year old story in a handful of paragraphs? It has been an amazing journey of community partnerships, new opportunities, fundraising, fun and fellowship. It has been watching youth grow up in our program, then return with their families to our summer events; the circle of life.
Family Night pool parties are mini vacations for so many of families. There are endless hula hoop contests, trivia with Doug Terrell and our friends from Wendy's, dance contests with DJ Pat of Premier Productions and laughter from kids who love to play games and win prizes. This is the heart of our community at its finest!
In our 20th year we added new events that will now be part of our future summers as we begin planning for year #21. We will continue our mini farmers markets for youth and families, our end of summer block party and sponsors from non-profits and agencies that provide services to our youth and families. We added IHeart Media podcasts for our summer sponsors, showcasing all the support they provide to help strengthen our families.
Cardboard boat races, The Right Path Regatta, provided team building skills to our youth boat builders who were sponsored by area businesses. These boats were designed with 3 sheets of cardboard donated by Mar-Pak. Only duct tape could be used to construct and design the boat. The Marietta Aquatic Center's lap pool was our venue and we used swim boards as paddles to get from one end of the pool to the other. We had 4 boats at our July preview, WMOA JAW, Harper's Rentals, Family and Children First/Help me Grow, Ely Chapman with only one boat still intact. Our second foray in to boat racing was held in August with 7 boats, Ely Chapman (2), Family and Children First/Help me Grow ( Parkersburg Catholic's Robotics Team,) First Baptist Church Youth Group (2), Campus Martius Museum and Girl Scouts; only 2 boats made in to end. Building Bridges 2 Careers ordered our supplies and took care of registrations and social media posts and families supported and cheered on our racers. It was so much fun to watch and I have a feeling the builders will have learned some valuable lessons from this year's races, like how to keep their boat from folding up and falling apart. We plan to expand these races to other pools in our county in 2024!
Thanks to a donation from Boys and Girls Club of Washington County we were able to add a 6th mini farmer's market for youth to the 5 we had planned, a big part of many of our pool party nights. We fundraise and write grants to make the markets happen in order to purchase $4,000 of fresh produce and share it with our youth and families, food pantries and other youth serving organizations.
It is so much more than a market. It allows youth to think about what they are putting in their bodies to fuel them, helping them develop healthy behavioral choices that will provide a healthy mind, spirit and body approach that may last a lifetime. Food is a great connector, too. Remember the sense of family that is kindled when we sit down together at the dinner table and share food and conversation with each other. It doesn't get any better than this.
The WC Juvenile Court paid for 5 pool parties and we cohosted pool parties in Beverly and Belpre as well. When we were able, we coordinated pool nights and youth farmer's markets together and it was an amazing gift to share with our youth, families and community.
Thanks to Huntington Bank were hosted our 2nd annual "Backpack Extravaganza"/Youth Farmer's Market with the Gospel Mission Food Pantry. Their generous grant of $7,000 fresh produce from Tom Fagan and the River City Farmer's Market, 300+ backpacks and school supplies to that kids could go back to school with everything they could use for the new year.
Marietta HS basketball and football players were on hand to bag produce, stuff backpacks and be amazing role models and mentors to other youth. Thanks to Coach Austin Gardner and his team! This is what community looks like!!
Pool parties ended with our annual end of summer "Block Party," but fundraising and upcoming walks will take us into the New Year and plans for summer 2024.
Thanks to all who made our 20th year a huge success: Our Supporters and Funders; WC Juvenile Court, Judge Tim Williams, WC Behavioral Health Board, Marietta Community Foundation, Elks Club, WV Credit Union, Monsters Horde, First Baptist Church Morning Glory Circle, Spagna's, Wendy's, Doug Terrell, Premier Productions, DJ Pat Horner, Matthew Horner, Mike Bishman, Belpre Heights Church, Dr. Karen Binkley, Huntington Bank, Boys and Girls Club of Washington County, Family and Children First Council, WMOA/WJAW, Peoples Bank, Erin and Mark Augenstein, Mar-Pak, Haas Septic, Building Bridges to Careers, City of Marietta, City of Belpre, Fort Frye Wellness Committee, WC Health Dept. Tobacco Prevention, Healthy Communities Coalition, Harm Reduction, Bob's Market, Jon Neff, River City Farmer's Market, Tom Fagan, Marietta HS Boys basketball team and football players with Coach Austin Gardner, Terrie Lincoln and Girl Scouts and Kim Horner.
Thanks to our Family Night sponsors; Marietta/Belpre Health Dept., House of Hope, Peer Solutions, MedMark, GoPacks, Ely Chapman, Brightview, Mid-Ohio Valley Employment (MOVE), Oriana House, Southeastern Ohio Counseling Center, Belpre Homecoming Committee, Rick Nicholson, Spero Health, Tara Plaugher, IHeart Media, Marietta Times, The Right Path Board: Gary Williams, Jen Miller, Greg Siegfried, Commissioner Jamie Booth, Marietta, Belpre and Beverly pool staff, Stephanie Greene, Harper's Rentals, First Baptist Church Youth Group . If I missed anyone I apologize. Thank you to all the families that have joined us over the past 20 years; you are the reason it's so important to us!
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