The Cheyenne River Youth Project® in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, has announced its March youth programming highlights, and local youth won’t be disappointed. The youth project’s calendar this month includes Passion for Fashion, the monthly birthday party at The Main and a series of late-night teen basketball tournaments.
Scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, at the Cokata Wiconi teen center, Passion for Fashion will provide support for teens who need all the prom essentials, from dresses and shoes to makeup, jewelry and other accessories. More importantly, it’s designed to foster intergenerational exchange, bonding, self-esteem and positive body image. Thanks to the theme “The ‘80s — Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” guests will enjoy a variety of fun food items at the formal luncheon; classic movie posters, music, MTV videos and other memorabilia; and a giant Rubiks Cube cake.
The keynote speaker for the luncheon presentation will be Lise Balk King. Cofounder of independent newspaper The Native Voice and a media and communications expert, King has worked for more than 20 years as a producer, publisher, advocate, consultant, event organizer, writer, editor, filmmaker and photographer.
Next, on Friday, March 15, CRYP will kick of a series of three late-night basketball tournaments for Cheyenne River teenagers. Scheduled for 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Cokata Wiconi gymnasium, the tournaments will allow diehard players to enjoy the competition while also providing spectators a safe, fun, positive place to hang out after the City of Eagle Butte’s formal 10 p.m. curfew.
“Our summer Midnight Basketball series is one of our most popular programs,” said Megan Guiliano, CRYP’s youth programs director. “Not only do we see the greatest numbers of teens come through our doors on Midnight Basketball nights, local law enforcement has advised that crime rates in town actually go down when we host the events. So we’re trying to offer late-night basketball periodically throughout the year; we know our kids want it, and it gives them somewhere exciting to be on a Friday or Saturday evening.”
And, at 4-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, CRYP will host its March birthday party at The Main youth center. The nearly 25-year-old, not-for-profit youth project hosts a party each month for all the 4- to 12-year-olds who have a birthday in that four-week period; for the March birthdays, staff members have chosen a special Hawaiian theme.
“Years ago, we realized how many children here on Cheyenne River never get a birthday party,” explained Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “So many don’t get that one special day just for them, and they don’t get gifts. Some of them don’t even know their exact birth dates. So we set up the monthly parties to make sure that our kids would have the special pleasures that birthdays should entail — decorations, gifts, games, their friends and mentors singing ‘Happy Birthday.’”
Each birthday party also includes a birthday cake. To help offset the cost of each party, CRYP seeks monthly sponsors to contribute $40 for the birthday cake. Garreau said friends and supporters of the youth project should call the Eagle Butte offices at 605-964-8200 or donate online at www.lakotayouth.org if they’d like to sponsor a cake for a particular month.
“A birthday cake seems like a small contribution, but really, there are no small contributions,” she commented. “Every contribution makes a big difference in the lives of our children.”
Finally, CRYP has announced that it’s now entering the final weeks of this season’s heat-match program. Matching dollars need to be spent by April 15, so members of the Family Services program are encouraged to contact the youth project if they’d like additional heat-matching funds before the program ends next month.
“And if you’re not a member, please become a member,” Garreau encouraged. “There’s still time to take advantage of the heat-matching funds. Plus, you can get household supplies, help with home improvements and access to all of our distributions, which cover school supplies, clothing, shoes and Christmas gifts. It’s only $30 a year for an entire family.”
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project® and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visitwww.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, visit the youth project’s Facebook “Cause” page. All Cause members will receive regular updates through Facebook.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project®, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.