Warren Coalition’s Celebrate Kids Day just keeps getting bigger (and better!) every year, and that trend continued this year for the 12th annual event held in Warren County. Hosted by Warren Coalition at the Health & Human Services Complex, Celebrate Kids Day welcomed 539 children and their families, setting a record attendance for the fourth year in a row! It also featured a surprise twist at the end that even Executive Director Christa Shiflett wasn’t expecting.
This year’s festival offered the traditional favorites: various inflatable rides (sponsored by Giles B. Cook American Legion #33), pony rides, face painting, free pumpkins to paint (sponsored by Front Royal Dental Care), and games (with prizes!) provided by the Warren Coalition. It also featured a few new activities, including inflatable racing orbs and a giant rocking horse (the latter was borrowed from Sue and Chris Laurence of White Picket Fence and Key Move Realty). An expanded outdoor area allowed Celebrate Kids Day to welcome 20 agencies, organizations, and nonprofits that provided their own games or activities. There were even a few businesses that joined in the fun, including Lowes!
Warren Coalition was excited to welcome Jig ‘n’ Jive and All Star Legacy Cheer back to the event. The students performed beautifully, to the enthusiastic delight of their audiences. (One toddler was so excited by Jig ‘n’ Jive that he tried to gallop out onto the dance floor with them!)
A major change this year occurred in the way the Coalition provided prizes, which were sponsored by Front Royal Kiwanis Club and Northwestern Community Services Board. Traditionally, the Coalition awarded a prize as soon as a child wins a game. This year, they decided to go counter to the idea of “instant gratification” and used a stamp card that was marked whenever the child won a game. Children could earn as many stamps as they wanted. At any time during the day, they could visit the prize table in the gym and use their stamps to “purchase” one or more prizes.
This approach allowed the Coalition to provide higher value prizes, providing each child with a few popular and or/resilience-based prizes, such as Squishmallows, crafts, and board games, rather than a collection of inexpensive toys (that often wind up in the trash). More importantly, it provided children with a small lesson in resilience—keep playing the game until you win, so you get a stamp—and saving for a larger reward, a self-discipline that is often lost in today’s electronic-based culture.
For the hard-working fundraisers, the heat of the day was broken up by a chance to sit in the Pitch Burst. A total of 13 people were challenged to raise funds for the Coalition and in return, they had 11-inch water balloons popped over their heads. While not every person met the $500 goal, the group swept by the overall goal, raising a total of $7,660! The Rotary Club of Warren County especially took the challenge to heart; they had four people sitting in the Pitch Burst and together they raised $3,575! Included in that group was the top fundraiser, Warren County Sheriff Crystal Cline, who gathered $1,945 in donations. Jody Lee, Skyline Middle School Principal, took second place with $1,250. For her triumph, Crystal received a gift bag of goodies, the Pitch Burst Traveling Trophy, and, of course, bragging rights for the next year.
During the last few minutes of Celebrate Kids Day, the Coalition staff gathered in the gymnasium, with only Community Outreach Coordinator Celeste Brooks knowing that they were there for a presentation by Delegate Delores Oates. Delegate Oates had been looking for a chance to recognize the Coalition with a Commending Resolution since late last winter, when it was passed by the Virginia House of Delegates. With an emotional Christa Shifflett at her side, Delegate Oates read out some of the highlights of the resolution, recognizing the Coalition for its 30th anniversary in 2024 and for making a positive difference in the community. Delegate Oates also praised Christa for her leadership and the ways in which she personally has made a difference in Warren County.
Mark the calendar for next year’s Celebrate Kids Day on September 27, 2026!