Downtown Kiwanis hosts a fun day for children while connecting families with services

Zach Roth, State Journal-Register
·2 min read
Corbin Harrison, 10, takes a crack at hitting a wiffleball at the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes station at the Downtown Kiwanis Kidsbash Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Salvation Army.
Corbin Harrison, 10, takes a crack at hitting a wiffleball at the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes station at the Downtown Kiwanis Kidsbash Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Salvation Army.

Lining the hallways on the second floor of the Salvation Army community center in Springfield Saturday were old newspaper clippings and photographs of events, fundraisers and fellowship hosted by the Downtown Springfield chapter of Kiwanis International.

As people of all ages dribbled balls, bounced on inflatables and swung at wiffleballs, the photos were a showcase of 100 years of service that continued Saturday.

The inaugural Kiwanis Kidsbash provided one more opportunity for the organization to celebrate its centennial.

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Children of all ages took part in a variety of activities, from games to climbing on inflatables to face painting to haircuts, while their parents had a chance to get information from a wide range of organizations, including Memorial Health, the Boy Scouts of America, Lincoln Library, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the Alzheimer's Association and Modern Woodmen of America.

Ana Manriquez, left, and Stacy Kelly of the Springfield office of the Alzheimer's Association chat it up Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Downtown Kiwanis Kidsbash at the Salvation Army.
Ana Manriquez, left, and Stacy Kelly of the Springfield office of the Alzheimer's Association chat it up Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Downtown Kiwanis Kidsbash at the Salvation Army.

The day was designed to further the Kiwanis' goal of improving the lives of children in central Illinois through service, while also giving them a chance to have fun along the way.

"There's two great things going on today – first, the free event, (then) for all these service organizations to be here so that families can connect with these organizations to see if truly, they can help them," said Dave Newton, president of the Downtown Kiwanis. "There's a lot of different ways that we're trying to serve the kids of central Illinois, specifically low-income kids."

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Families who attended Saturday's event didn't have to pay for entry, any of the activities, or food, with organizations lining up to support the families - some who struggle to make ends meet.

Layla Fulkerson, 7, puts in a shot on goal Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Springfield Downtown Kiwanis Kidsbash at the Salvation Army.
Layla Fulkerson, 7, puts in a shot on goal Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Springfield Downtown Kiwanis Kidsbash at the Salvation Army.

For instance, Turasky's Meats, Hy-Vee, County Market, and Mel-o-Cream Donuts provided food or drinks; Blue Cross Blue Shield gave people snacks as they left; the United Way of Central Illinois gave children books.

"The community support that we've received year one has just been outstanding," said Jay Boulanger, vice president of the Downtown Kiwanis.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Downtown Kiwanis hosts winter event for area children