GRANDCares Blog

By Christine Spencer, GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Maui 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.