From The World Of Parks & Recreation
By Doug Comer
With Halloween approaching in the coming weeks, I thought that I would remind you about the 27th Annual Children’s Halloween Party at the Harrison County Recreation Complex this Halloween, October 21st, from 6-7:30 pm. Unlike the traditional door-to-door treat collecting, we offer the opportunity for a safe, alternative means of getting goodies for the ghouls, witches and vampires.
“We are approaching three decades of this program and we continue to make a positive impact in Harrison County,” said Director Mike Book. “The event is a fun and safe evening consisting of games, prizes and a costume party for kids. Each child gets a treat bag consisting of candy, cookies and other various treats and during the time frame they can compete for tickets to be turned in for toys.”
The event, which is free of charge and sponsored by the Harrison County Commission and funded by the Vital Service Levy, gives the first 150 kids between the ages of three to 12 a bag of candy and historically the bags goes pretty quickly as Book explains.
“The event is very popular as we have seen kids grow through the years from little babies to almost teenagers. The parents love the fact that we have a program like this. You know, a place where they do not have to worry about some of the bad things that go on in this world. We make sure that the atmosphere is positive and that everyone enjoys themselves. We always seem to run out of bags within the first hour of opening.”
The event could not get off the ground if not for the help of other services in the area. With the joint efforts of the WVU Extension Service, the Harrison County 4-H Clubs and, of course, our County Commissioners, the event is a success as each department has a particular role in the event.
“We could not make this event as successful as it is without the help of the other departments that donate their time to making it a success. And, of course, the funding from the County Commission ties it all together. Everyone plays their significant role in making all this possible.”
The event is scheduled for Monday, October 31st from 6-7:30 pm and the first 150 kids get a free bag of candy. There will be small carnival games and prizes that can be earned through tickets from playing said games. Look for it on our Facebook account or by calling the HCPR at 304-423-7800.
Last weekend marked a very successful family day weekend consisting of our Medieval Times Enrichment program we offer the kids during the school year. Approximately 150 people showed up for the event to which King Michael the first shared the tales of becoming a Knight, the games played in that era and even a natural trail narrated by Robin Hood himself. It was quite a successful weekend.
“We had a great turnout for the weekend and there was plenty on hand to keep the families busy,” said Book. “We offered knight training for the kids as well as provided a puppet show for the families. But, the two big attractions was the opening of our disc golf course, Commissioner’s Hills and a medieval battle as the group Dragorhir put on an exhibition.”
This current enrichment will wrap up at the end of this month and then preparation for the Appalachia enrichment starts immediately. Look for what days were like before electronics and some of the other luxuries we have today