Snowdown 2018 is quickly approaching. All we need now is snow, especially for our agriculture community. I hope we receive some much-needed precipitation soon.
For the last five years, La Plata County 4-H has partnered with the Celebrating Healthy Communities to put on a family-friendly Snowdown event. This year will be no different.
CHC, a local prevention coalition, which has been serving our region for more than 25 years, developed this event to offer youths and adults an alcohol- and drug-free activity during Snowdown. It has become a great event for families on the Saturday of Snowdown weekend.
Each year, CHC coalition members take on the responsibility of designing, planning and implementing their own unique obstacle station to be a part of the larger obstacle course. The stations and course correspond with the annual Snowdown theme.
This year, CHC has chosen the name Skyfall of Fun, representative of James Bond and the Snowdown theme, “A Black Tie Affair.”
4-H Youth County Council members have fun coming up with a creative idea to go with the theme. As the adviser, I let them know they have a certain amount in the budget for the event and let them do the rest. It is a great team-building exercise to see young people work together to benefit other youths in our community. They also participate the day of the event to assist obstacle course participants through our station.
The event will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at Buckley Park in Durango. The obstacle course is for people 18 and younger. There will be prizes for fastest completion times through the course.
For more information or to volunteer, email Breeah Kinsella at breeah@ourhealthycommunities.org or call 317-8039.
In addition, 4-H works with CHC to deliver a developmental asset of the month for coalition members to distribute to the community.
According to the Search Institute: “The Developmental Assets are 40 research-based, positive qualities that influence young people’s development, helping them become caring, responsible and productive adults. Based in youth development, resiliency and prevention research, the assets have proven to be effective and have become the most widely used approach to positive youth development in the United States and, increasingly, around the world.” For more, visit www.search-institute.org.
This month’s asset is: Community Values Youth: Young People Perceive that Adults in the Community Value Them. Each asset of the month also comes with a question that directly relates to the positive quality. For instance, have I directly expressed appreciation to a young person for his or her contributions to our community?
The research shows that the more assets young people have, the less likely they are to engage in risky behaviors. In addition, the assets promote positive parenting by providing proactive tips on how to communicate with your children or loved ones.
We look forward to joining with other youth-serving organizations to put on the Snowdown obstacle course this year. The collaborations of the coalition are what make our community so special. Also, 4-H will have a top-notch station you won’t want to miss.
Greg Felsen is the La Plata County 4-H youth development agent. Reach him at gregory.felsen@co.laplata.co.us or 382-6463.
Greg Felsen
