JAY — Southern 21st Century Kids of F.R.A.N.K.L.I.N. will be hosting a family resource festival Saturday, March 6, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Spruce Mountain High School.

“All CDC guidelines will be followed, with masks and social distancing closely monitored,” high school social worker Kristy Labonte wrote in an email Friday, Feb. 19. Activities will include sledding, snowshoeing, horse and carriage rides, bonfire with s’mores kits, raffles and door prizes, goodie bags, hot dogs, and popcorn, she continued.

Face masks will be available for those who don’t have them, she said in a later phone interview. Some snowshoes and sleds will be provided, she noted.

The team working on the event has been in consultation with administrators and nurses in the district to ensure compliance with COVID-19 guidelines in order to make this happen, Douglas Saunders, coordinator of Southern 21st Century Kids of F.R.A.N.K.L.I.N. said in a phone interview Monday.

Co-chairing the festival are Saunders and Jennifer Stone, the social worker at the elementary school.

This school year, Southern 21st Century Kids of F.R.A.N.K.L.I.N. has been offering a virtual after school program for kindergarten through eighth grade students in Regional School Unit 73, Saunders said. The program has been given the okay to begin limited in-person programming, and families will be able to register to participate at the festival, he noted.

“There will be information available, activities folks can see or take part in,” Saunders said.

Participating vendors include Care and Comfort, the Healthy Community Coalition, Franklin County Children’s Task Force, Spruce Mountain staff, Foster Career and Technical Education Center and Spruce Mountain Adult and Community Education.

Young students don’t always see the correlation of math and science to future careers, Stone said. Seeing the programs offered at Foster CTE Center may make that connection, she said.

For those struggling with school, Spruce Mountain Adult and Community Education can provide information on how to obtain their degree, Stone said.

“Education is so important. We don’t want to lose it,” she said. Come start spring off at the festival, get help to end the year on a good foot, she said.

Door monitors will ensure indoor COVID-19 guidelines aren’t exceeded, Saunders said.

“Everything is free,” Labonte said.

Relay races such as snow hole biathlon will be offered, Saunders said.

“We’ve been approved for an outdoor bonfire for socially distanced warm up,” he said. S’mores kits will be available and other foods will be pre-packaged, he noted.

Kendrick Charles of Kingfield will have his horses there for carriage rides, Stone said.

“In order to ride, people will need to have a punched pass showing they’ve been to a variety of the vendors,” she said.

The festival is open to anyone, with the school’s concert entrance providing access to indoor activities, Labonte said.

“There will be lots of signs,” she said. “People to help direct, register and sign the COVID-19 forms (used by the district) along the roadway.”

Visitors will be able to see all the vendors with separate entrance and exit points used to help with social distancing, Labonte said.

“The school’s nicely set up for it, only the gym and cafeteria will be used,” she said. “The festival is being held to help families access community supports. People can sign up for some services there.”

Every time a vendor is visited, participants will receive another ticket for the door prize drawings, Stone said. Several area businesses and community members have donated items for the drawings, she noted.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer the festival,” Saunders said. Families have really been struggling; it will be great to have some fun, get outside, have access to services, he noted.

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