By Tim Leeds
Pepin Park will be full of activity from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday as parents and children gather for the Stand for Children Day rally.
June 1 is Stand for Children Day, when communities across the country gather to focus on issues concerning children and families. The day was organized to create awareness of how issues in the communities affect children's safety and health, recognize ways that people can and have made communities safer and healthier places for children to live and improve in concrete ways the communities in which children live.
The event in Havre has been coordinated by Head Start and the HRDC Child Care Link in collaboration. This is the third year it has been held in Havre. Marit Ita of the Child Care Link said the first year was just a group rally to show support for childcare issues.
This year's event has more activities planned. From 11 a.m. to noon, there will be games and activities for the children, planned by the Havre Assembly of God Youth Group and HELPers, Ita said. At noon, several speakers will talk about organizations, activities and services available for children in the area.
The speakers at the rally will include Mayor Phyllis Leonard; Pastor Steve Flateau, president of the Havre Ministerial Association; HRDC Director Tom Bolan, and representatives from the police department and HELP.
Ita said students will also read an extensive list of activities available in the area.
Tacos from the Taco John's Taco Cart will be available at $1 per person.
Ita said several day care providers from the area plan to attend the rally.
The rally will focus on the variety of activities available. The Havre area has extensive children's educational and extracurricular activities, starting from preschool and going through secondary education. The activities available at the local schools range from sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf and track, to band and choir, speech, VICA and DECA.
The sports activities for children outside of school are also extensive, and continue to grow. Sports camps and organizations comprised of both volunteer and paid coaches and referees are available throughout the year for area children to participate in.
There are many local and nationally affiliated organizations and youth groups for children to become involved in as well. Activities are available for almost any area a child is interested in, from agriculture and religion to trading Pokemon cards.
Many educational and entertainment programs are provided by local governments and organizations in the area. The HRDC Child Care Link, HELP, the City of Havre and the VISTA volunteers are among those providing services to children in the community.
Many summer camps and activities are also available to children in the area. Some of these run the length of the summer, while some are shorter in length.
To find out more about some of the activities available in the Havre area, attend the Stand for Children Day rally at Pepin Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
