Community gathers for successful kids health and safety fair

May 13—DICKINSON — The 11th annual Kids Health and Safety Fair boasted a significant turnout, with nearly every parking spot at the West River Ice Center occupied throughout the event. Featuring over 42 exhibitors, the fair attracted 926 visitors, including 543 children, totaling 1102 attendees.

This year's attendance surpassed last year's total of 855, indicating increased participation from vendors and families. This provided an opportunity to introduce the multitude of organizations and entities serving families and children in the Dickinson area.

Organized by the Southwestern District Health Unit, Chairman Marlys Walter expressed astonishment at the event's large attendance, noting the community's shared commitment to educating children on health and safety and providing parents and guardians with essential tools and services. She has been invovled in the fair for the last decade and is happy to see the event grow.

"It is showing to be one of our largest Kids Health and Safety Fairs," Walter remarked. "The Dickinson community really wants to get the word out about the different services that are available to them and their families. Today, they get the chance to meet those families and those kiddos and give them the information that they need while having fun."

The event received sponsorship from various organizations, including Dickinson Eagles Club, Entertainment Explosion, CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson, Sanford Health Dickinson Clinic, Marathon Petroleum Company, Winn Constructions, Dickinson API and more. These sponsors generously donated door prizes, their time, and provided free zoo animal hats for every child attending the fair.

Families were warmly welcomed by the State Patrol and the Dickinson Fire Department, receiving sticker badges and opportunities to explore a real-life fire truck.

Inside, Disney and zoo characters, along with Miss Williston, distributed goodie bags and zoo animal hats to children before they entered the fair.

The atmosphere at the fair was vibrant, with the large room bustling with vendors, exhibitors, and attendees, many of whom were dressed as zoo animals in line with the event's theme. Live music from the Dickinson High School Jazz band resonated throughout the venue, complemented by bouncing castles that were popular among children.

Notable mascots in attendance included Smokey the Bear, Dickinson State's Buster the Hawk, Prairie Rose Elementary Panther, and CHI St. Alexius' Kangaroo.

Exhibitors represented local organizations offering games, activities, and valuable lessons on health and safety while informing families about available services, emphasizing children's needs.

Library board member Troy Kuntz, dressed as a cowboy alongside his fellow Book Corral bus exhibitors, engaged children with stories and literacy activities, enriching their experience at the fair.

"Kids are starting to recognize us and they will pop up and yell for Ryan Stone Ronda and are so excited," Kuntz said. "Here we get a chance to talk with families who are wondering what kind of services we provide with the free lending libraries, but just to play a part in this amazing event and being able to bring an aspect of literacy and free literacy at that too, is just great to participate in."

Kyra Jaeger-LaRoche of the Dakota Children's Advocacy Center led the Fishing for Feelings activity, helping children gain a deeper understanding of emotions. In addition to this, the center offered bubbles and wash-off tattoos, enhancing the overall enjoyment. Jaeger-LaRoche highlighted the center's mission to support children and families dealing with trauma and abuse, emphasizing the collaborative efforts of various community entities in providing comprehensive services to families.

"We actually work with kids, so we are used to this," Jaeger-LaRoche said. "We have actually been doing a lot of events like this lately and it is really good networking for us too, because we get to talk to and meet a lot of people with other organizations that we could possibly refer our families out to or have services we could use or cover areas that we aren't able to. It is that wrap-around service that is really important that we are able to collaborate with other agencies and help out our kids."

Before the event concluded, Walter declared the fair a success, highlighting the joy evident on children's faces and the invaluable information conveyed to parents and guardians.

"For me, it is just seeing the smiles on the kids' faces and having lots of fun while learning about health and safety," Walter said. "And When the families take all the different handouts that they are going to get from each exhibitor, they are going to go home and read that information and are going to be surprised by all the different services that are available for kids and their families in the Dickinson community."