GIFFORD — After working diligently in the halls of elementary academia all year, what sweeter reward than to frolic in the cool waters of the Gifford Aquatic Center – and eat pizza.
A couple hundred Youth Guidance kids, watched over by a company of adult volunteers, celebrated their achievement with The Good Grades Pool Party Saturday evening. The bash, a miracle of organization, featured plenty of loud, age-appropriate DJ music, yummy but healthy age-appropriate food and full access to all the wet fun the wonderful facility has to offer.
The event was started by Youth Guidance Executive Director Barbara Schlitt Ford, after she took the organization’s reins four years ago. Youth Guidance, she explained, places enormous emphasis on education and, to qualify for the party, each student must show, via report cards, high and/or improved grades.
Board Chair and volunteer Dee Giannotti explained that the Gifford Youth Activities Center and Youth Guidance work hand in hand on a range of programs for single parent students.
She heaped praises upon the YG staff – Ginny Rhodes, Trish Mitchell, Piper Vetromile and Irene Hrynyk – who, she explained, bore much of the heavy lifting in planning and carrying out this labor-intensive event.
With lists, clipboards, efficient staff and well-briefed volunteers, and cooperation from the Weather Committee, things ran smoothly.
Polo shirts in hand, the kids moved to the sorting area, where each was paired with an adult. Because they ran a bit short on volunteers, or long on kids, some adults shared the fun with two young charges. Soon, the little groups were dropping outerwear onto the umbrella-covered tables and heading toward the pool.
Second-year event veteran Pat Lahey splashed in with new pals Shawn and Alain, both rocking multi-colored Sponge Bob swim trunks. Volunteer Annie Blewett looked forward to cooling off with her new young friend.
Longtime mentor Carol Cooney volunteered at last year’s party.
“I kinda got hooked on the kids,” she said as she watched her student Rita sail down the highest of the two water slides – a big, blue corkscrew.
Dripping, Rita, a straight A student at Gifford Middle, deemed it “scary but fun.”
Volunteer-manned game stations were set up all around the pool. Game participation points resulted in sno-cone treats.
First-time volunteer Ron Achey watched as 4th grader Jaquan and 3rd-grader Jaylee tried their hands at nudging a beach ball around and through traffic cones with a spongy bat.
Volunteer Steve Schwartz sat with 6th grader Gabriel and 3rd grader Marcos discussing their future plans – studying science and earning a degree – and munching on pizza and broccoli.
“It’s a pleasure to be here with these kids,” said Schwartz. “They worked hard, got good grades and they eat healthy.”
Youth Guidance serves some 700 kids, K-12, with literally hundreds of activities throughout the year. This year, five $1,500 college scholarships were awarded.
Youth Guidance kids, all from Indian River County, are paired with volunteer mentors, and the need for mentors is always great.
