2018 was a big year for Root for Kids (previously The Learning Center for Families). We celebrated our 25th Anniversary, changed our name and branding, built a new website, expanded our services and most importantly, we were able to serve 1,293 kids – more than ever before.
Take a look back with us to our top 10 moments of 2018!
10. Utah Families Connect Event
Our Parents as Teachers (PAT) program participated in a state-wide event with eight other PAT programs across Utah. The event brought together 16 parents and 41 children to enjoy a night of food, fun and learning at our St. George location. If you are interested in signing up for PAT, just fill out a referral form and we’ll be in touch!
9. Fall Family Festival
Another family favorite event we host every year is the Fall Family Festival in October. The kids got to dress up in costumes, get their face painted, and play fun games. Also, the DSU Dental Hygiene team came out to volunteer and do free fluoride varnishes in the kids!
8. Ribbon-cutting Ceremony
After announcing our new name and branding in our 25th Anniversary gala, we invited the community for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The St. George Chamber of Commerce came to support the event as well as other community leaders and business people.
7. Monthly Food Pantry Events
In a partnership with the Utah Food Bank, we started to host monthly food pantry events in August 2018. All families served by our programs were invited to come receive 10-12 food items, and if they weren’t able to make the trip, our staff delivered the boxes. We are so grateful for this partnership that has made such a difference in the lives of the families!
6. Volunteers
Every month individuals and groups came to Root for Kids to volunteer in a variety of projects. From bundling diapers and putting together “I Spy” bottles to repairing garden boxes and building a trike track, we couldn’t have had a successful year without our volunteers!
5. 3nd Annual Radioathon
There’s nothing like the spirit of giving during the holiday season! We were fortunate to partner up with Red Rock Broadcasting to host our 3rd Annual Radioathon on December 5. It was 13 awesome hours of fundraising – hundreds of cars driving by to drop off change and in-kind donations, sponsors being interviewed on air, families sharing their stories live and volunteers working on several different projects.
4. Caterpillar Clubhouse Annual Health Fair
The Caterpillar Clubhouse celebrated its first year in 2018. We also hosted our first annual health fair in April, which provided free health screenings and services to 23 children enrolled in child care. One of the moms shared that her son “went and did all the tests and past most of them. When we did the vision screening he failed. I was really surprised because he hasn’t showed any signs of needing glasses! I later took him to the eye doctor. Come to find out that my son does need glasses. If it wasn’t for the Health Fair I wouldn’t have known that he needed glasses until later in life!”.
The Caterpillar Clubhouse is now enrolling 0-5 year olds!
3. Dental Clinics at DSU
Twice a year several dental hygienists, dentists and students come together to offer free services for enrolled families. They do everything from maintenance to actual dental work that needs to be done. We are so grateful for their partnership! Thank you for helping so many children and pregnant women in our community.
2. Spring and Winter Graduations
Few things are cuter than 3-year olds in caps and gowns receiving their diplomas. Such a big part of what we do is making sure the children and families are ready to be on their own after completing our programs. And we celebrate that milestone with two graduation events every year, one in the spring and the other in the winter. In 2018, 206 children graduated from Root for Kids!
1. 25th Anniversary Gala
The biggest party of the year was definitely our 25th Anniversary Gala on September 22. For 25 years, Root for Kids (then The Learning Center for Families) promoted the success of children by providing access to resources, early education, early intervention and health services. The gala gave us an opportunity to nurture relationships with old friends and make new ones. We also revealed our new name and logo at the party, which was well-received and celebrated. Thank you to all the amazing donors we have and everyone who was part of that special night. We’re looking forward to our next gala!
We had so many incredible moments in 2018 that is was hard to pick only ten. Here’s to a 2019 filled with accomplishments and success stories! If you’d like to contribute to our goal of nurturing strong beginnings, please consider making a donation.
