MES Kids Festival celebrates five years
An important part of the festival’s programme is the popular baby and toddler competition
MES Kempton Park will host its fifth Kids Festival this year on Saturday, August 27.
“It is a privilege for us as an organisation to host this event in the year that MES also celebrates its 30-year anniversary. We plan to take the festival to Dries Niemandt Park as the festival has shown a positive growth over the first four years. We are grateful to see that this event is becoming a highlight on our community’s calendar,” says Lilly Franks, branch manager.
The festival will include various rides and entertainment for children, flea market stalls, food stalls and performing artists.
An important part of the festival’s programme is the popular baby and toddler competition. Parents can start entering their children into one of the following three categories: 0-12 months, 12-36 months and 3-6 years (boys and girls for each category).
The entry fee is R40 and the winners of each category will be announced at the festival. Photos will be taken prior to the festival at various pre-schools or an appointment can be made directly with Hannes Roodt from Hannes Roodt Photography: 082-767-9266 or hannesroodt1@gmail.com.
An A5 size photo is included in the entry fee for each child that enters. Five photos, randomly chosen, will also be published in Kempton Express weekly between July and August. Exciting prizes are up for grabs this year. There will be prizes for first-, second- and third-place winners for each one of the categories.
This festival remains the MES Kempton Park branch’s biggest fundraising event and is an important part of its annual budget. Funds raised during the festival will benefit the establishment of new programmes and the growth of existing programmes.
MES currently manages the following programmes:
An overnight shelter that assists an average of 30 homeless people per night.
A community kitchen that serves an average of 60 meals per day to homeless and unemployed individuals.
A food parcel project that provides parcels to 50 poor families living in the inner city.
An after-school centre that can assist 20 children with homework and exam preparation.
A GROW job rehabilitation project that offers life and job rehabilitation programmes to assist homeless and unemployed individuals. Various participants have been assisted with job placements in the past year and MES hopes to grow this project and start with training.
The branch has recently started a garden services initiative which forms part of the GROW project. MES would like to invite the community to make use of this service.
Our city is facing many challenges and problems but our community members can support projects like these to make a difference and bring about positive change. For more information or a quote, call the office on 011-024 4580.
For more information, call Aloma Swanepoel on 011-024-4580 or 082-652-3398.
