Published: September 13, 2008 11:55 pm      

Downtown becomes playground for Day for Kids

Jackson Weaver, 4, proudly displayed his badge from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office on the front of his shirt as he stooped down to touch a puppy at the first Day for Kids, sponsored by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Gordon, Murray and Whitfield Counties.

“He’s been in the police car and the fire truck,” said his mother, Jackie Weaver.

Jackson and his brother, Gracin, 3, were just two of several hundred kids and their families who strolled down Selvidge Street in front of the Whitfield County Courthouse during the event.

“My goal was 500 and I think we have made it,” said Robbie Slocumbe, executive director for the Boys and Girls Club. “We ordered 400 T-shirts and we only have a handful left.”

Children were treated to a variety of activities. An inflatable slide and moon walk were popular attractions for children. Parents enjoyed taking their kids to the art tables, where children could put their hand print in a clay plate to show how big they were in 2008.

On stage, 14-year-old Raven Bro entertained the crowds after a crowd-pleasing performance from the Dalton Dance Company.

Parents and children also learned more about the American Red Cross and Safe Kids, the Humane Society of Northwest Georgia and the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Department.

“But the best part is parents were spending time with their kids,” Slocumbe said.

The event was sponsored by Hamilton Health Care System, Textile Rubber and Chemical Co., Advanced Insurance Strategies, Dalton Animal Care, Dr. Frank Patterson, Rock Bridge Community Church, BIA , Dalton Service Inc., Antonio’s Mexican Restaurant, Coldwell Banker Kinard Realty, House of Beauty Day Spa and Boutique and Dart Drugs.