There were about 200 people at Lake Trail School on Saturday, May 10, give or take.
Forty of them were there representing community groups, with booths and tables showing how their group or organization benefits the community. The other 160 or so were there to be a part of the community that has grown up around the Lake Trail community.
"This year LTCES extended Community Connection Day to Thursday afternoon during school hours, where community partners who have resources for youth tabled and all the grades 8 and 9's of Lake Trial were able to come through and see what resources are available to them, which also featured a scavenger hunt to promote youth engagement," program coordinator Meika Johnson said in an email. "The evening of the Thursday (May 8th) we had an open house at the community garden, with live music, salad bar, good vibes, and new and old friends."
The fourth annual event also featured Community Day on Saturday, which was where all of the booths and other events were. These stations included things like:
- Hands on music experience
- Sewing
- Friendship bracelets
- Community weaving project
- DJ lessons with CVOX
- "Draw what you see" art station
- MARS ambassador bird
- Free salad bar and crumble that served close to 200 people
- Pop-up choir
- Over 28 community partners (other non-profit organizations)
The event was put on by the Lake Trail Community Education Society, which provides free after-school programs to youth in the Lake Trail Neighbourhood.
"Our community programming is open to everyone and we do our best to identify and remove barriers that may prevent folks from participating," Johnson said. "Everyone is welcome!
"Everyone is invited to Thursday afternoon Garden Gnomes where we have work parties and a potluck," they added. "Free food for everyone, no garden experience is necessary, you don't even need to garden! just come hangout and be yourself with others."
