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Written by Maura Brady McMullen
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Thursday, 29 March 2007 |
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 With the ever-engaging PlayStations, Xboxes, and computer games available, why would anyone want to venture outside when they can create the great outdoors with a simple click of a button?
Kim Sharpe, the executive director of Healthier Communities Coalition, knows the value of getting kids off the couch, she’s doing something about it.
Healthier Communities, in partnership with five local radio stations, will host the second annual Family and Youth Summit on Saturday, March 31.
The summit will have entertainment — “all entertainment is for kids by kids,” Sharpe said — workshops, a teen fashion show hosted by Plato’s Closet and a once-an-hour storytime presented by The Reader’s Cove, with local authors reading their work.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Jim Davidson is an international outdoor expedition leader and a high-altitude rescuer. He will speak about perseverance and how to achieve your goals.
“What so many (people) want to know is, ‘What is it like’ and ‘What can I learn from this,’ ” said Davidson on his speeches. “By applying yourself to do what is necessary, you put yourself in a position to enjoy it.”
Davidson has been climbing for 25 years and his first international expedition was in Argentina in 1986. For 20 years, he worked as an environmental geologist, but his real love was in public speaking and climbing.
What drives Davidson is the simple belief that having a healthy lifestyle — physical care, good emotional care and the respect for one’s body — can lead to adventures people never thought possible.
“If you find something important to you, it will reward you later on and will lead you to lots of fun and exciting opportunities,” he said.
One of those experiences for Davidson came when he traveled to Nepal in 1998 with a group of friends.
“The Nepalese people are so nice — the culture is so different,” Davidson said. “It was a life-changing journey to go and see how people in Nepal live.”
The simplicity in how the Nepalese live their lives, their generosity and their happy spirit are good gauges for Davidson to measure his life against, he said.
And the importance of role models for youth is not lost on Davidson.
“I think there are lots of good role models out there, but positive role models can get drowned out by the loud, less-positive role models,” Davidson said. He added that it’s not that the role models aren’t available, but the reinforcement of the positive message is the key to keeping the message alive.
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TO GO
• Family and Youth Summit
• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 31
• First National Bank Exhibition Hall at The Ranch (Larimer County Fairgrounds), Loveland
• Tickets: $10 for families or individuals
• www.healthylarimer.org/2007summit
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WORKSHOP TO FOCUS ON HOMELESS
It may not seem like it to the casual observer, but Larimer County does have a homeless population, Julie Phillips of the United Way 211 said.
“One of the goals of this volunteer project is to educate participants about the growing problem of homelessness in Larimer County,” Phillips said.
Summit participants will have the opportunity to help those who are homeless in the community, and learn more about the causes of homelessness.
There will be three interactive volunteer stations where parents and children can help:
• Hygiene Kit Assembly. Learn about life on the streets while filling backpacks with hygiene essentials.
• Plant Potting. Decorate flower pots to give people transitioning from the streets to transitional housing.
• Letter-writing. Write to elected leaders about changing government policy on homelessness.
Families that donate two non-perishable food items will be entered to win tickets to the Fort Collins Symphony.
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OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
A workshop worth taking for pre-teen and teen family members will be presented by Educo, an outdoor leadership school based in Fort Collins.
Shane Butterfield, the executive director of Educo, will present a free workshop called: “Creating a Shared Experience.” Children and parents can learn about Educo’s philosophy and about activities they can do together.
“Adolescents tend to pull away from parents but (activities) help create a bond,” Butterfield said.
Butterfield said completing a challenge together helps create a bond that will connect family members forever.
Additionally, Educo is committed to “making the youth feel like a part of the community,” Butterfield said.
“If the community invests in its youth and gives them opportunities and engages them, that in turn makes the youth give back to the community.”
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