Rancho Cordova youth enjoy Back to School Skate Night

by Rene Hamlin
Youth Development Manager,
Folsom Cordova Community Partnership

On Sept. 8, Kings Skate Country was jam-packed with the youth of Rancho Cordova. The Rancho Cordova Youth Advisory Council teamed up with the Cordova Activities for Kids and the Roots and Horizons Mentoring Program, programs of the Folsom Cordova Community Partnership, to bring a free, fun-filled evening to the youth in our community. The Youth Advisory Council members collaborated to design a flyer for the event and distributed it at many of the local elementary schools, middle schools and the high school. Many youth turned in their permission forms early in order to receive a special prize at Skate Night!

On the day of the event, youth began arriving half an hour before the skate rink doors opened. They checked in and lined up, eagerly anticipating the fun ahead. Each youth received a raffle ticket and a food ticket for the night. Dinner was pizza and cupcakes for dessert! When the doors finally opened, youth rushed inside and immediately began putting on skates. The skating began with a fun game of limbo on roller skates! As skating continued, raffle tickets were drawn every 10 to 15 minutes. Winners went to the prize table and picked out one of the many choices of games and toys. Many youth also engaged in the arcade games and hanging out with friends throughout the night.

One parent commented, “Both of my kids were thrilled after the event, they had a great time. I felt very comfortable about leaving them because it was well staffed and very organized. It was nice to have an event on a school night because that doesn’t happen very often. For one of my kids, who said he had a great time, it was a real testament to the skills of the staff at connecting with youth on their levels.”

Everyone had an enjoyable time and the event was a huge success! We look forward to next year’s Back to School Skate Night.

The Rancho Cordova Youth Advisory Council is part of the Cordova Community Collaborative, a REACH Community Action coalition.