Greystone Youth Day took place on July 5, attracting 90 children from the Greystone area, between the ages of six to 14. Kids were able to meet firefighters, police, and ambulance workers and play sports and games. 

The Chronicle-Herald’s Meagan Leonard reports:

Vice-principal Trina Canavan says the main goal of the event is to encourage parents to take an active role in community planning, and introduce kids to organizations they might see as “bad,” such as the police.

“A lot of the kids are scared of the police because of what they hear,” says [parent volunteer Margie] Sexton. “So it’s nice to have these officers come up and see all the kids running after them and hugging them.”

Although Youth Day is only once a year, a variety of other free day camps and activities have been planned for the rest of the summer by community parents and the local Salvation Army.

“It gives a focus and something structured for kids to do during the day, and have fun doing it,” says Canavan. “We’re trying to incorporate things to keep them physically active that don’t necessarily cost a lot of money.”