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Boys and Girls Club Street Party to showcase the organization

Free event is about more than just a family night out
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Photo submitted A water fight between local youth and Williams Lake RCMP officers will be one of the featured free activities put on during the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake and District’s annual Family Street Party and Open House.

On Wednesday, Aug. 22, the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake and District will be hosting their annual Family Street Party and Open House.

For Chastity-Blu Wright, the operations co-ordinator for the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake and District, the street party is the perfect opportunity to spread the word about the programs that are offered for local youth, while also providing a night filled with fun and free activities.

“What we are trying to do with the Family Street Party and Open House is pull in greater interest from more families around the area, and get them to hopefully let their kids come to our drop-in centre,” said Wright. “We are focusing on really getting our positive image out into the community, so that people know that our facility is here for everyone.”

The street party, which will feature a free barbecue along with a plethora of other activities — a dunk tank from the Williams Lake Fire Department, a water fight with the Williams Lake RCMP, airbrush tattoos, a bouncy castle and more — also gives Wright an opportunity to continue to spread awareness about the club and drop-in centre.

“When I started working here, I asked some questions regarding the demographic we generally work with,” said Wright. “I never saw too many youth come to our NOOPA Youth Drop-In Centre. I wanted to get the word out that we are here for everyone, not just at-risk youth.”

Wright explained that the Boys and Girls Club already offers numerous free activities for youth ages 13 to 18, but she states that the organization is moving forward to provide even more programs in the future.

“We’re just hoping that we will have programs going on all the time, so that kids will be able to have something to do, stay busy and enjoy coming and participating in the free programs available,” says Wright. “It gives them something to look forward to and a sense of belonging, because there is always the opportunity to make friends with everyone else who comes out.”

From baking and carpentry workshops to boxing classes and movie nights, Wright says that although they are trying to showcase their programs as often as they can, the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake and District can still do more.

“From what we’ve seen in the past, we believe we can do more,” said Wright. ”We want to offer more activities for the kids, because we think it is great thing for the community.”

Wright is hoping that more than 200 people come out to the event next Wednesday, stating that it will be able to offer some form of reprieve during B.C.’s wildfire season.

“I always think of laughter as the best medicine,” said Wright. “Especially with all of the fires around, this event can act as a day where people can come out and have fun and be with family.”