On Saturday March 17, Mercer’s Panhellenic woman volunteered to work at the Kids CherryDazzle held in downtown Macon from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Kids CherryDazzle is an annual event that is held on the first weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival. All children are welcome to attend the festival and participate in a day of games and activities.
This year, Panhellenic Vice-President Nichole Brown was one of the volunteers who helped organize the event.
Five women from each sorority on campus also volunteered their Saturday afternoon to work at this event.
Volunteer Katey Skelton said, “I really think that Panhellenic participation helped to show Macon citizens how involved we are in the Macon community. They were very thankful and appreciative of our help.”
This event was a day that consisted of fun activities for children such as: coloring, face painting, pet fashion show, live animal shows, games and prizes, free stuffed animals and candy, local mascots and many more events.
“This is an event that is supposed to lift the spirits of the children in the community. Whenever we would see a child who was upset or didn’t look like they were having a good time, we would go up and give them a stuffed animal or something to play with. I think that this really lifted their spirits and brightened their day,” said Brown.
Many children who spent the day at this event won prizes, toys, games and raffles. These events were created with the intentions of bringing joy to the children of Macon.
Phi Mu volunteer Lindsey Little said, “I think the CherryDazzle was a great way to get the kids in the community out for a fun day at the Cherry Blossom festival. I’m sure that it left them with great, lasting memories.”
The volunteers at this event were constantly rewarded with positive feedback as they saw the children smiling and enjoying themselves at this event.
The children at the festival had a great time and loved participating in the events that were made available to them.
Alpha Delta Pi volunteer Mary Katherine Johnson said, “I feel like the kids who live in Macon got to experience a fun day full of activities in a healthy environment.”
Everyone at the festival was entertained and relaxed because they were able to take a day off. They had their minds focused on simply having a good time.
Volunteer Caroline Cooper said, “My favorite part of CherryDazzle is that it gave families a chance to do something fun that didn’t cost any money. A lot of the events that are offered at the Cherry Blossom Festival are too expensive for some families to attend, so I think it’s great that we were able to provide them with an afternoon of fun for no cost at all.”
Kids CherryDazzle was a great success and this event will continue for many years to come. This festival brings the Macon community together and allows for Mercer’s Panhellenic women to get involved by lending a helping hand to those in need.
Panhellenic women volunteer at CherryDazzle event
