The Lions Club held a festival at Mariners Park on Saturday, June 22 to mark the one year anniversary of the opening of the tot park.
The club had marked the opening last year with a hot dog giveaway, and after surpassing expectations decided to revisit that success.
“We thought we would do it again just to reinforce people’s idea that the park is here and that we’re still behind it,” said Jamie Scott of the Lions Club.
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| Jade LaRochelle went home with a number of balloons to play with following her time at the park. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View) |
Scott emphasized the importance that even smaller play areas like the one at Mariners Park can have on a community.
“It’s absolutely crucial for any community to have places for the kids to play, and get them off the screens and get them outside playing and being as creative and active as we can,” said Scott. “It’s the perfect venue, this is the perfect community park, and it’s a great fit for us.”
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The port was a sponsor for the event, and had a booth where they gave kids boating safety advice, as well as lessons in knot tying. Kaleb Fitzsimmons, a deckhand on the port’s patrol vessel Charles Hays, was on hand to teach some of these valuable skills.
“The kids enjoyed tying the knots and learning and doing something that’s active,” said Fitzsimmons. “Stuff like this really brings communities together and brings out the best of organizations like the port and the Lions Club.”
| Lions Club members cooked hot dogs and provided entertainment during the event. (L-R) Gary Coons, Jamie Scott, Harry Young, Tom Cheng, Jim Martin, Bob Zimmerman, Wayne Lundman. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View) |
Scott said the Lions Club is hoping to make the festival an annual event going forward.
Alex Kurial | Journalist
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