By Christine Spencer, GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Maui County
Jana Carson, GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Larimer County
Jana Carson, GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Larimer County
We at the GRANDcares Project celebrate and cherish
grandparents every day. Officially, the
United States recognizes them each year on September 10th for National
Grandparent’s Day. Last month, throughout
the country, people called their grandparents, sent cards with kind words, and planned
events in their honor. Our staff in both Colorado and Hawai’i were lucky enough
to be able to attend some of the festivities.
In Colorado, the city of Fort Collins organized a
wonderful event at the Senior Center for grandparents and their
grandchildren. The day included live
music, fun games, family photos, face painting, a petting zoo, bingo, and a
cereal buffet. Additionally, Grand
Family Coalition hosted their annual grandparent’s day celebration at Boyd Lake
State Park, attracting many grandparents raising their grandchildren. Grandfamilies enjoyed spending the afternoon
together eating, conversing, playing, and relaxing with each other.
In Hawai’i, GRANDcares
launched National Grandparents Day with a private movie screening for grandparents
raising their grandchildren on Maui.
Maui Mall and Regal Cinemas hosted the morning event in honor of all the
hard work grandparents do for their families.
Later that day, grandfamilies were invited to a free and fun gamenight
at the Maui College campus. There was a sea of children who played games while
the grandparents “talked story.”
Information on upcoming events and workshops for grandfamilies in
Hawai’i can be found on the “GrandcaresHawaii” Facebook page.
Although it is only once
a year that we come together to recognize grandparents, they are heroes every
day. More and more families are turning to grandparents for support and
love. From Grandparents in Colorado to
Tutu’s in Maui, all across the country, grandfamilies are an important part of
our communities.
