It will be a celebration of youth in Morley and Cochrane this weekend, as April 26 kicks off the youth expo in each community.
The third annual Morley Youth Expo, which is slated to run at the old gym (in the same building as the ice arena) from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on April 26, boasts a roster of activities that will appeal to kids of any age.
The Cochrane and Area Youth Expo will be spreading the activities over the course of the weekend, running from 7 p.m. April 26 to April 28.
The Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane and Area (BGCCA) will be hosting both expos.
“We want to celebrate youth, involve youth in our community and give back to our youth,” said Karri Berg, community outreach and community awareness and prevention of violence coordinator for the BGCCA and organizer of the Morley Youth Expo. “There aren’t many youth-only community events.”
The festivities in Morley will start up with games of Ping-Pong, dodge ball, and X-Box at 2:30 p.m., followed by a free BBQ at 4 p.m. The “Swag Show,” a talent show and open-mic session will begin immediately afterwards. The evening will wrap up with a DJ and dance.
Berg has arranged for buses to transport the participants back to their homes from the expo, but added the buses will be leaving the venue at 7 p.m.
Although she was overseeing and helping with the planning of the Morley leg of the Youth Expo, Berg said most of the activities were brainstormed by the local youth involved with the Youth Council.
“These kids took on an active role in planning the activities at this year’s expo,” said Berg. “It’s been awesome to see the youth step up and plan an event like this for their community.
“This event is really about youth building relationships in their community and opening their eyes to the different resources available to them.”
These are the same concepts that spawned the Cochrane and Area Youth Expo, which Berg said began about five years ago. Now, the celebrations are spread throughout three days, starting with a free BBQ April 26 at 7 p.m. at the club. The second day of festivities include free swim at the Big Hill Leisure Pool and a movie night back at the 5th Avenue BGCCA facility.
April 28 will kick off with free bowling at Cochrane Lanes. Berg said homegrown Cochrane athlete and Calgary Stampeder Rob Cote is slated to make an appearance at 1:30 p.m.
For details on activities and times, visit the Cochrane and Area Youth Expo Facebok page.
