For the third consecutive year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is leading the effort to bring “meaningful time” to millions of children by celebrating the first Sunday in August as National KidsDay (NKD). Through collaborations with KidsPeace, national associations and corporate sponsors, National KidsDay continues to build momentum. But the effort needs nothing less than the full support of the Boys & Girls Club Movement to realize its potential and become a designated day on the national calendar.

National KidsDay 2003 is Sunday, August 3, and you’re invited to join in the excitement of creating a lasting tradition. This year’s signature NKD event focuses on hosting community picnics across the country. Summer picnics are a great way for children and adults to have fun, share a meal and spend meaningful time together. In addition to the many exciting events being planned by Clubs nationwide, “The Ultimate National KidsDay Picnic” will take place at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C.

Benefits of Belonging
Why should your Boys & Girls Club organize an NKD event? That’s simple. There’s no better way to showcase your facility and programs, recruit new members and serve non-members. The initiative also helps build awareness for your Club, while reinforcing it as a leader in the community. Since the inception of National KidsDay in 2001, more than 4,000 communities, receiving hundreds of mayoral proclamations, have organized NKD celebrations.

National KidsDay can also be used as an effective fundraising tool. It provides an opportunity to approach local businesses and introduce your organization and its programs to new sponsors. Clubs can develop new for-profit and nonprofit community partnerships. A celebration also provides a great way to draw parents into your facility, educate them about what you have to offer and encourage their involvement.

Finally, Boys & Girls Clubs that participate in National KidsDay and meet necessary requirements are eligible to receive proceeds from the NKD fund. A number of Clubs have missed out on collecting their share of funding because they skip one small but very important step – they don’t submit NKD event evaluation forms.

Luckily, it’s never been easier to organize an event and keep BGCA informed about your celebrations. A new event tracking system can now monitor what's happening on National KidsDay; who's participating; what types of events work best; and how many people are attending events nationwide. Log on to the password-protected area of www.kidsday.net and pledge your commitment to host a celebration. Enter event details in the event tracking system and visit the event planner for materials to make your NKD event simple and fun. The National KidsDay Web site provides many ideas for planning and hosting low-stress, high-impact celebrations. Visit www.kidsday.net or www.bgca.net for a complete listing of tools, including the National KidsDay Planning Guide; a PowerPoint presentation for soliciting local support; event timelines; and video downloads.