Sumter County Prevention Team hosts annual PARK event Aug. 3

The Sumter County Prevention Team will host its 11th-annual Parents Accessing Resources for Kids (PARK) drive-through event on Saturday, Aug. 3, at Sumter County Civic Center, 700 W. Liberty St., from 10 a.m. to noon. For their safety, families are encouraged to follow the directions of Sumter Police Department when entering the parking lot.

Agencies that provide community, health and educational services for youth and families in Sumter County have provided resources for the free event, which is open to all parents or guardians of children 0-18 years old in Sumter schools.

Vendors will provide school supplies, and the grand prize is a home computer and printer for one participant.

Children in attendance with a parent or guardian will receive a book bag donated by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Eta Zeta Omega Chapter of Sumter. Since February 1959, the chapter has provided "Service to All Mankind" in Sumter and surrounding communities and supports the international programs of the sorority and its local programs throughout the community. As a major sponsor of PARK, it continues to provide book bags to Sumter County school-age children.

Parents and caregivers can receive timely information from experts in the areas of education, health and community resources. Understanding and having access to available community resources will ensure parents will be more confident, informed and equipped to handle any challenges that their child may face during the upcoming school year.

Adult participants can have their name entered for an opportunity to win the grand prize of a home computer with accessories for their family.

According to Jeannine Gamble, Prevention Team member, PARK is the Prevention Team's annual outreach opportunity to meet the parents of the community and to assure them the team has resources to support their efforts. Also, the Sumter Prevention Team is a co-host of "Diaper Day GiveAway Tour, A Mobile Diaper Pantry" and Men's Health, Healthy Mind, Healthy Family and Healthy Spirit Health Expo, an event that encourages men to seek annual health screenings.

Healthy families make healthy children, and it's been proven students do better when parents are involved. Students are more likely to earn better grades, graduate from high school and enroll in secondary education. According to research, children do best if parents can play a variety of roles in their learning: helping at home, volunteering at school, planning their children's future and taking part in key decisions about the school program, Gamble said.

PARK is not a back-to-school bash but a community resource fair that will give parents the footing they need to encourage their child's school success. "Come PARK with us!"

For more than 20 years, Sumter County Prevention Team has provided a forum for coordination of efforts for primary prevention and is available to educational, governmental and community agencies and organizations as a broad-based community sounding board in matters relating to primary prevention.

Any person or agency that desires to provide greater health, education or community awareness to our county and would like to be a part of the Sumter County Prevention Team can join the group at 9 a.m. on the first Friday of each month at Sumter Behavioral Health, 755 Electric Drive. Prevention Team meetings are an opportunity for members to network and share ideas for improving the community and providing prevention services to the youth and families of Sumter County.