It may have been the middle of August, but children attending the first-ever Parents' Night Out didn't know that. They were in a "Frozen" wonderland, and afterward they were probably ready to build a snowman.
The event, hosted by the Junior Auxiliary of Rogers-Bentonville, was a chance for local special needs children and their siblings to chill out, and according to mother of two Kendra Skaggs, a chance for mom and dad to relax a bit too.
Go and Do
Parent’s Night Out:
‘Spring Into Earth Day’
When: 6-10 p.m. April 17
Where: Grace Point Church, 1201 N.E. McCollum Drive in Bentonville
Cost: $20 refundable deposit
Information: polinaspromise.com
"It's really hard for us as parents to get a worry free night out," she said. "It can be expensive to take care of a special needs child, so getting a babysitter is sometimes out of the budget."
Skaggs, a special education teacher with the Bentonville school system who brought home the last child allowed to be adopted from Russia by an American family, is the mother of two special needs children. While raising her kids, she discovered just how important it was for her to have a night out knowing her children would be well taken care of, she said.
"We created an event that is truly worry free," she said. "It is cost free, worry free. Siblings can come too, giving mom and dad a complete night off knowing their children are receiving excellent care."
Last year's event featured games, foods and crafts geared toward all things cold. Kids were invited to watch the popular animated film "Frozen," but as project chairwoman and mother of three Lisa Mertensotto found out, the children weren't quite as excited as the hosts had expected.
"We expected the movie time to be a quiet time, but the children didn't necessarily want to sit still through the entire movie," she said with a laugh. "By the end of the night, we were a bit worn out, but it was a really great time."
Parents' Night Out is hosted by volunteers and staffed by the newly established Crown Club, teenage daughters of members and friends of the Junior Auxiliary who participate in service projects throughout the year.
The girls of the Crown Club also helped develop programming and activities, as well as taking part in the event by leading games and sing-alongs, acting as guides and providing structure for the 20 happily energetic children.
"We couldn't have done it without them," Mertensotto said. "They have much more energy than their moms, and with their help, we had about 30 volunteers to look after the 10 special needs children and 10 of their siblings."
The second Parents' Night Out will be held April 17 at Grace Point Church in Bentonville, and after several months of winter weather, the Junior Auxiliary is looking forward to providing a warmer theme this time around.
The April event will focus on Earth Day, Skaggs said. "Crafts and games will all revolve around Earth Day and the different areas of the Earth and on the importance of sustainability and recycling."
"The kids are going to have a blast," Mertensotto said. Participants will be invited to make "fun" headbands with stickers focusing on recycling, sack races if the weather is warm enough and sing-alongs, she said. Children will also have the opportunity to plant a seed, carouse with characters like Mother Nature and watch the funny film "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," she said.
"We'll start the night with 'ice breakers,' a fun way for the kids to get to know us and us to get to know them," Skaggs said. "We like to be as interactive as possible, so we have one adult for every child and a lot of hands-on activities and games."
Parents are asked to contact the Junior Auxiliary through the Polina's Promise website in April to sign up their children. Mertensotto said that early registration not only allows parents to secure a place for their children but also gives volunteers the time to prepare for each child's individual needs.
The event has a cap of 20 participants, but the group is hoping to expand the event next time, she said, and provide a night parents will find relaxing and kids will look forward to.
"It was so exciting to hear several kids say to their parents at pick-up time, 'We don't want to go home,'" said Mertensotto. "Everyone felt like the evening was a huge success, and the parents were able to completely enjoy their well-deserved night out."
Allison Carter can be reached by email at [email protected].
NAN Profiles on 03/15/2015