Big Brothers Big Sisters plans ‘Summer Fest’ at Twin Lakes Park
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Aubrey Marquis has been a “Big” for a year and a half, and she says she still gets choked up when she talks about spending time with her “Little” at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region.
“You come into the program with the mission of changing the life of a child,” she said. “But you don’t realize what the impact on your own life will be.”
Marquis also is the program director at the Laurel Region office, and the staff is gearing up for a party as they host Summer Fest on Sunday at Twin Lakes Park in Unity.
“There will be tons of things for kids, and we tried to keep the costs as low as possible to make it as inclusive as we can,” Marquis said.
Summer Fest will run from noon to 5 p.m. There will be free and low-cost activities, including character visits, games, sand art, face-painting, a bounce house, a Pokemon party and more.
For parents and adults, the event is BYOB and will include a cornhole tournament, bingo, food trucks, a dog activity and live music from Latrobe band HiDef.
“They’re a high-energy rock ’n’ roll band, and they do a lot of songs everyone knows,” Marquis said. “With this being a community event for everyone, we wanted to make sure the music appeals to the whole crowd.”
“We’re looking forward to having fun,” HiDef bassist Mark Campagna said. “It’s our first outdoor gig of the year, and we always play a lot of upbeat music and have a lot of fun.”
Laurel Region Executive Director Stephanie Babich Mihleder said Summer Fest is a reimagining of its summer community fundraiser.
“I think our team and board excel at looking at things with fresh eyes and not just doing the status quo,” Mihleder said. “There is truly something for everyone at Summer Fest, and people can come and enjoy an incredible day without spending a dime.”
A Play-All-Day pass is available for $25, but attendees also can pay a small fee for individual events. For a complete schedule of free and paid events, see BBBslr.org and click on Summer Fest 2022 under the Events menu.
In addition to fundraising, Mihleder, Marquis and others hope to interest attendees in finding a “Little.”
“My ‘Little’ doesn’t get a lot of experiences because his mother works several jobs and is so busy providing for her family,” Marquis said. “So I helped fill that gap, and now we’ve done a lot of things that I may not have ever done without him. Seeing him experience these new things, and getting to do it together, makes it that much better.”
Summer Fest will take place at Twin Lakes Park, 219 Twin Lakes Road (Pavilion 7) in Unity.
For details, see BBBslr.org.