On Thursday, July 5, the Cheyenne River Youth Project® in Eagle Butte will host its third annual Family Day festival at its East Lincoln Street Campus. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the grounds and in the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center gymnasium, and it will be open free to the public.
Not only will all Family Day participants receive raffle tickets when they arrive, they’ll have an opportunity to win prizes through the Family Olympics. This year’s games include a potato-sack race, egg-balancing race, tug-of-war, piggyback-ride race, potato dance, wheelbarrow race, egg toss, water-balloon toss, softball toss, obstacle-course race and bobbing for apples. Exciting additions this year: “Fear Factor,” inspired by the popular TV show that challenges contestants to eat disgusting foods, and “Drip Drip Splash,” which promises to be a delightfully messy affair with sponges, buckets and plenty of water.
Family Day revelers also may take part in The Family Mural Project.
“We’re hanging a large roll of art paper in the Internet Cafe, and we’re encouraging families to pick their own spots on the paper and draw something to depict or represent their families,” explained Tammy Granados, CRYP’s wellness coordinator and Family Day organizer. “We’re really excited to see what our friends and neighbors contribute to the project!”
The games will begin at 4 p.m., with Fear Factor at 5 p.m. and tug-of-war at 6 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., CRYP staff will hold the raffle drawing and welcome guests to a free barbecue supper. On the menu: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, side salads, chips and beans, with lemonade, iced tea and cold water to drink.
“We’ll have the barbecue outdoors behind the Internet Cafe, unless it rains,” Granados said. “In that case, we’ll host it in the Internet Cafe itself.”
While spending time indoors, Family Day participants can enjoy puzzles, games, Bingo, painting activities and Play Doh. They also can take a tour of the CRYP facilities, learn more about other community organizations at prepared booths and visit with staff and long-term volunteers.
Granados said she hopes this year’s Family Day will encourage members of the Cheyenne River community to visit CRYP’s East Lincoln Street campus and learn more about the nearly 25-year-old, grassroots, not-for-profit organization.
“Not only does Family Day give Cheyenne River families a chance to spend a beautiful summer day together and enjoy each other’s company, it’s also a great opportunity to introduce ourselves to those who may not be that familiar with us,” she explained. “We’ll be giving tours and presenting information about our signature programs, services and activities. We’ll also have handout materials and will be free to answer parents’ questions.”
In addition, Granados said CRYP is hoping to encourage community members to volunteer.
“We always need help with fundraising activities and with maintenance, particularly on our playground,” she said. “We also encourage family members and community members to volunteer their time if they have special arts and crafts skills or if they can share information about professional skills, career paths and so on.”
According to Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director, Family Day has become an eagerly anticipated event on the organization’s yearly calendar.
“We had great turnouts in 2010 and 2011, so we’ve really been looking forward to this year’s event,” she said. “One of our former volunteers actually came up with the idea for Family Day; she thought it would be a way for the members of our community to feel more connected to our youth project. And you know, she was right! It’s really important to us that all the moms, dads, grandparents and other family members feel that CRYP belongs to them as well as to their young or teenage children, and this is a wonderful way to facilitate that sense of connection and belonging.
“We are a community organization, and our roots are here on Cheyenne River,” she added. “If we’ve learned anything in the last quarter century, it’s that if we all work together, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish for our kids, our families and our community.”
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.