Club plans National Kids Day for Aug. 6
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 27, 2005 1:46 PM
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County will celebrate National KidsDay on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the clubs in Goldsboro, Fremont and Mount Olive.
Director Mary Ann Dudley said she is expecting hundreds of members and their parents to attend. Activities are planned for the whole day.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America and KidsPeace created National KidsDay in 2001 to foster stronger relationships between adults and children by educating them on the importance and value of spending "meaningful time" together.
Ms. Dudley said all families experience the pressures of contemporary life, regardless of economic status, ethnicity, cultural background or location.
"These pressures directly affect the amount of meaningful time they are able to devote to their children," she said. "National KidsDay provides the opportunity for every adult to take a break, celebrate and renew their commitment to the nation's children."
She said research has shown that spending just a few hours a week helping children with their schoolwork can significantly improve their grades and joining a child in a small amount of physical exercise each week can reduce their risk of obesity and diabetes. Parents in the survey assigned great importance to eating together with their children, but nearly four in ten said they eat a home-cooked meal with their children less than an average of once per day. The study showed that eating meals together several times a week can reduce a child's risk of smoking, drinking or doing drugs.
Planners of the event have received support from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and Grand Rental Station.
For information on volunteering for National KidsDay or directions to the Boys & Girls clubs, call 735-2358.