October 28, 2019

Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) was happy to celebrate their 10th Annual Laps4Literacy Family Play Day and Glow Walk/Run at the Lancaster JetHawks Stadium, October 19, 2019. This year, CCRC welcomed over 2,500 families from across the Antelope Valley. Children and parents alike enjoyed learning through play with fun, educational activities and had the opportunity to gather information about community resources showcased by 50 local vendors and small businesses.

“I just want to say thank you to CCRC for providing this for the community, and putting smiles on kids’ faces. My son has wanted to come on the Lancaster JetHawks field for the longest time and today he got to do that, and win a prize. We couldn’t be happier.” Luis Valencia, father.

This luminous evening was lit with laughter, games, and more! It featured: an infant and obstacle course area for the energetic little ones, a reptile exhibit filled with scaly friends, hair and face painting stations to bring out your unique self, a costume contest and more! The evening kicked off with a Zumbathon fundraiser. Over 100 energetic dancers moved and grooved to benefit CCRC’s 10th anniversary of their What A Difference A Book Makes (WADABM) initiative.

Thanks to the tireless efforts and tremendous support from community members like the Zumbathon participants, at the end of this year, CCRC will have collected and distributed 1,000,000 (yes, a million) books throughout the past decade. In 2009, they came across an alarming statistic, “According to the Children’s Literacy Foundation, only one book is available to every 300 children in low-income neighborhoods.” That year, CCRC set the goal to collect and distribute 100,000 books to the children and families we serve. It is how Laps4Literacy was born in the Antelope Valley and is now one of the agency’s annual events.

“We are thrilled to have celebrated our 10th annual Laps4Literacy event and we are extremely grateful that the Antelope Valley once again joined us in making the night a success. We remain committed to enhancing the lives of families in our service area and today we witnessed the whole community uplift one another. We enjoy every opportunity we get to share resources and have fun. Literacy remains the cornerstone of our agency’s mission and we are proud of it.” Casey Collier, Community Partnership Specialist, CCRC. 

The night ended with a run/stroll around the baseball field filled with all things glow, where every child was a winner! Children participating in the run received a glowing prize that they took home. Every child in attendance also received an age-appropriate book, and each family had the opportunity to leave the event with a free bag of fruits and vegetables.

CCRC’s dedicated staff and wonderful volunteers worked together to make the event a success. “I love giving back to the community, but I don’t always have the opportunity, this was a great experience. I liked being around the kids and seeing them have fun. Everyone came together to make this day happen, and you don’t get to see teamwork like this often. As a community we are lucky.” Juan Andrew Cruz, volunteer.

We believe that literacy is the foundation for a successful and happy child. We cannot wait to reconnect with our community and share the joy of literacy in 2020. You can enjoy CCRC’s upcoming free event in Victorville November 16, 2019 for their next Family Play Day.

For more information about volunteering, hosting a booth or attendance please contact 818-717-1036.