Partners for a Healthier Community

For the fifth year in a row, organizer Ric Oliveira and his crew have put together an expanded Kid's World Festival at Heritage State Park hosted by the Friends of Heritage State Park on August 11 & 12, 2012. Funding from Citizens Union Bank and dozens of volunteers provided activities, including hatching live chickens, Bob Schenck and his Animal Instincts pet store crew, lessons and instrument give-aways from TJ’s Music Live, a Fun Zone from Teamworks, a Kid's World Maze, a Sunday dance expo, superheroes, buried treasure, bubbles, face painting, chain saw art and dodge ball. This year Mr. Tooth joined the cast of character to challenge kids and adults to cut down or cut our soda and other sugary beverages for the summer, part of Partners for a Healthier Community Soda-free Summer Pledge Campaign. The event is free of charge and most of it involves children taking an active part rather than simply watching. Click here for a short video Click here for the Herald News article. Click here for photos from last year. For more information about the event, contact Ric Oliveira at 508-678-3844.

(Top row) While his mother watches and laughs, Ryan Perez tries to dodge one of the huge bubbles that Peter Belanger created in the open field. (Row two, left) Children practice dancing in front of the Smith School of Dance banner on the boardwalk. (Row two, center) Festival founder and chairman Ric Oliveira and Festival treasurer Jennifer Boulay pose with the Partners for a Healthier Community tooth character. (Row two, right) A large turtle provided by the Animal Instincts pet store walks away from three-year-old Michael Lawson of Taunton in search of food. (Row three, left) Eleven-year-old Kailee Mena and two-year-old Cayden Reinhold wait while their mother reads the Soda-free Summer Pledge form. (Row three, center) A girl tosses a ball at a net-covered target. (Row three, right) Brittany Sylvia escorts her younger brother, Anthony, and Nathan Cabral through a maze. (Bottom row) Youngsters, including Spencer Jones, center, and Devin Botelho, right, pose for photos with the popular Partners tooth character.