Franklin County Times

With summer just beginning, many local children are busy trying to find activities to keep them entertained and one local club has stepped up to provide something for them to do.

The Franklin Civic-Social Club will be hosting their 21st annual Youth Outreach Day Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Chucky Mullins Center in Russellville.

One of the organization’s original members, Allen Rorer, said the event would feature several games and contests including a basketball three-point contest as well as many other activities. Prizes, including 10 brand new bicycles, will be given away to winners.

Rorer said participants can also enjoy hotdogs and hamburgers for lunch and they’ll get a chance to talk to members of the Russellville Police Department, the Russellville Fire Department, and possibly members of the Air Evac Life Team if weather permits.

“Sometimes kids think the worst when they see a police officer and we want them to have the opportunity to meet our local police officers and know it’s not a bad thing to see the police in the neighborhood,” Rorer said.

“We don’t want them to grow thinking that the police and firemen are people they should be afraid of. They need to realize that they are people who want to help them when they need it.”

Besides giving the children a chance to meet and greet law enforcement and have a chance to tour the fire department’s ladder truck, Rorer said the day was also a way to reach out to the community’s youth.

“This event gives our organization a chance to let the children in the community know that there are people out there who care about them and want to see them achieve the best they can for their future,” Rorer said. “Some of them may not come from good home situations and this is our way of letting them know they are important.

“Plus, there are many kids who don’t get nice summer vacations, so we want them to have the opportunity to do something fun right here in their own town.”

Russellville High School graduate Byron Graham, who is now the athletic director at Florence High School, will be the speaker for the event.

“We usually have a speaker every year who talks to the kids for about making good decisions and all the opportunities that are available to them if they’ll just do their best,” Rorer said. “It’s good advice that every child could benefit from hearing.

“Even though there’s a lot of fun things happening at this event, we want them to walk away from it having learned a little something, too.”

Everyone in the community is invited to attend this free event.