Adventure Center Is Honoring Local Volunteers

The Children’s Adventure Center is celebrating National Volunteer Week 2012, which will be observed April 15–21, because volunteers are such a large part of the growth and development of the children at the center. The CAC Parents’ Group volunteers on a near-weekly basis at 14 Riverside Road, offering children the opportunity to benefit from volunteer actions at a very young age.

The children of The Children’s Adventure Center are planning to visit the meetings of several local volunteer organizations this month. They will present members with commemorative pins that feature a large red heart and the words Volunteers: Exceptional People Extraordinary Hearts.

CAC students Madeline Hart and Mason Johansen recently visited VNA-Newtown during its monthly meeting at Edmond Town Hall for the first presentation of the Volunteers pins. The children, with CAC Director Judy Sims, gave each member of the group one of the Volunteers pins, which was attached to a small piece of cardboard with a poem (“We think you’re terrific / for your efforts each day, / and the care and commitment / you always display. / We’re grateful to know / we can count on you. / Please accept our thanks / for all that you do!”). The children also offered a Children’s Adventure Center bookmark to each of the women at the April 2 meeting.

Newtown Woman’s Club has also been presented with pins and bookmarks, and Children’s Adventure Center children are scheduled to visit the Commission on Aging during its next meeting to do the same.

Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week has grown exponentially in scope each year since, drawing the support and endorsement of all subsequent US Presidents, governors, mayors, and other respected elected officials.

National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing, and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. It is about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, in unison, people have the fortitude to meet challenges and accomplish goals.

In a proclamation announced on April 9, President Obama reminded Americans that “Our Nation has been profoundly shaped by ordinary Americans who have volunteered their time and energy to overcome extraordinary challenges. From the American Revolution and the Seneca Falls Convention to the everyday acts of compassion and purpose that move millions to make change in their communities, our Nation has always been at its best when individuals have come together to realize a common vision. … During National Volunteer Week, we pay tribute to all who give of themselves to keep America strong, and we renew the spirit of service that has enriched our country for generations. That spirit lives on today in countless acts of service around our country,” he said.

“Service is a lifelong pursuit that strengthens the civic and economic fabric of our Nation. … I call upon all Americans to observe this week by volunteering in service projects across our country and pledging to make service a part of their daily lives,” he also said.

Volunteers Invited To Visit

Being unable to reward all of Newtown’s volunteers in person, The Children’s Adventure Center is inviting volunteers to visit the center to pick up a commemorative pin during the week of April 15–21. The Adventure Center is open weekdays from 9 am until 5 pm.

“We believe volunteers are our greatest natural resource,” said Mrs Sims. “We invite you to stop by and receive your shiny, new pin.”