By Luis Rodriguez
Staff Writer
On Jan. 24, St. Bonaventure students teamed up with Franklinville Elementary School and the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) to hold their second annual Sports Day for children in grades Pre-K through sixth.
“Sports Day is a chance for our students to spend some time in the gymnasium on the weekend with their friends, while supervised and led through various activities,” Sarah Hatch, vice president of the PTO, said.
The idea for Sports Day came after the elementary school boys overheard the girls talk about how fun their Princess Day is, and complained about not having a day for them. Princess Day is a day for the girls to go and have their nails painted and hair done. “We started Sports Day last year on the same day as Princess Day to give the boys a fun day with their friends,” Hatch said.
Also, according to Hatch, the day helps to bring the community together.
Last year, only boys were allowed to attend Sports Day, but this year both boys and girls attended. Along with PTO members, 11 St. Bonaventure University students volunteered to make the day successful.
This year’s events included exercises and stretches as well as stations for basketball, hockey, hula-hooping, an obstacle course and jump roping. The St. Bonaventure volunteers provided a one-on-one experience, which the children also enjoyed.
Since Franklinville Elementary School is a “Fuel Up to Play 60” school, student activity plays a huge role in creating events to keep the children engaged. With student activity declining in the winter, Sports Day is a good way to keep them moving and to promote healthy choices.
“Fuel Up to Play 60” is a program founded by the National Dairy Council and the NFL, which gives students the power to make changes in their school and rewards their activeness with a chance to win Super Bowl tickets.
Students were not the only ones who enjoyed the eventful day. The volunteers admired the children’s playfulness and having the chance to meet them. One volunteer, sophomore sports studies major Tristan Slocum, found it fun to go back home and give back.
“I thought it would be a fun event to do and I thought it would be really cool to go back home to my old school and help organize and run a fun day for the elementary school kids,” Slocum said.
Other volunteer’s found Sports Day as an opportunity to get involved in events outside of campus.
“I thought it would be a fun way to get involved with surrounding communities,” sophomore Alexis Young said. “I also want to be a physical therapist so I believed it could help me in that regard,”
Both the children and volunteers seemed to be satisfied with the outcome of this years Sports Day.
rodrigl13@bonaventure.edu
