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Who We Are: Strong Kids Safe Kids is a life-enriching community composed of volunteers, community organizations & businesses who come together to help develop strong, safe and healthy families to build strong, safe kids. Our annual festival provides families with information about community services and safety issues while engaging children in fun activities where they can learn and their parents can learn with them.
Strong Kids Safe Kids began in 1984 as a child ID fingerprinting event sponsored by the Task Force on Children and Families of Chemung County. The event quickly outgrew its original purpose to become a highly effective mechanism for human service and law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and health and education providers to reach out and connect families to information and services to help kids and families be strong and safe in Chemung County. Today the SKSK committee is the Task Force and is committed to hosting our annual festival and exploring other projects to strengthen families and kids.
The Annual Festival: The Strong Kids Safe Kids annual festival is a full day of educational activities and family entertainment aimed at promoting awareness of children's health and safety issues and the prevention of child abuse and neglect. For 27 years hundreds of local organizations have joined forces to volunteer their time, talent and treasure to create an exciting and unique event attended by thousands of area families and children. SKSK is truly an example of Chemung County working together!
Strong Kids is not a fund-raising event...all activities and services are provided free to children and their families. One of the most beneficial outcomes of the event is that it provides families with a fun filled day to spend together without having to worry about money. Mom and Dad can take their kids " to the fair " without worrying about saying no to things they can't afford. Everything at Strong Kids is Free! - including a bag of free school supplies for every child who completes 10 activities at participating booths.
Participating exhibitors are asked to provide free, hands on activities or entertainment for children in addition to handing out information about agency and organization services. Past activities have included fishponds, coloring contests, miniature golf, dunking booths, face painting, arts and crafts, exotic animal displays, an obstacle course and campfire cooking. Costumed animals and cartoon characters roam the area including Sponge Bob Square Pants, Elmo, and the Elmira Jackals' Blade.
All county fire and law enforcement agencies are involved whose displays include a smokehouse, the Jaws of Life, fire trucks, police cars, McGruff the Safety Dog, photo ID's, bike safety, and car seat safety checks. Kids enjoy learning about school bus safety from Buster the Bus, and area medical providers provide health screenings, an emergency helicopter appearance, and an ambulance display.
Free Entertainment on the main stage has included, dance troupes, choral groups, magicians, african drummers, and musical groups. Cheerleaders, gymnasts, and clowns, entertain throughout the park. A miniature train provides rides for free and kids jump for joy in the Balloon Typhoon, and stretch their muscles on a climbing wall and giant slide.
Who Funds Strong Kids?: Strong Kids Safe Kids is organized by an all volunteer standing committee made up of representatives of local businesses and community organizations. The committee solicits donations from businesses and organizations to assist with the purchase of supplies, printing, give-away's, postage and performer fees; and uses any profits from food sales to fund start up costs for the next years event and add new attractions to the event.