Day For Kids 2009

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Ring 280 Performs Magic at the Fourth Annual Day For Kids

On September 12, 2009, IBM Ring 280 provided some fun magical entertainment to take part in the fourth annual

Day for Kids. The event drew 5,000 to Newhall Park and was sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley and the City of Santa Clarita. This was the second year that Ring 280 participated. The Ring members who volunteered this year were Andrew Grill, Brandon Maddux, Lonnie Dilan, Brian Hoffman, Bryan Lake and Justin Garcia. We were particularly proud to have Justin with us this year. Not only is he a member of the Boys & Girls Club, but he learned about our Ring at last year’s event. Instead of being a spectator this year, Justin got up in front of his peers and performed. Way to go Justin!

In total, there were more than 40 organizations that offered arts and crafts, laser tag, a bean bag toss, face painting, celebrity autographs, crazy hat photos, child identification kits, and many other activities. Celebrities signing autographs included Christian Pikes, best known for his Disney hit films Air Buddies, sequel Snow Buddies, and Ice Age 3, and Naya Rivera, who plays Santana Lopez in Fox’s hit series Glee.“This is an event we put on for the community—with a focus on strengthening relationships with kids,” explained Jim Ventress, chief professional officer of the Boys & Girls Club. “We were proud to again work side by side with the City to continue this annual tradition.”

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley is a member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, an organization with more than 4,000 clubs nationwide. The local Club was formed by a group of community leaders who recognized the need for high-quality programs and facilities at affordable costs for area young people. The Club now serves more than 3,000 youth, ages 7-17, at facilities in Newhall, Canyon Country and Val Verde. Programs engage members in education and career exploration, the arts, sports, recreation and fitness, character and leadership development, and healthy life choices. For more information, visit www.scvkids.org