Kids Day America to benefit Butler YMCA
One of Butler County’s most popular community events returns for its 23rd year on May 13 when the annual Kids Day America festivities return to the Butler Farm Show grounds starting at 11 a.m.
According to the event’s principal sponsor, Stuart Surkosky of Care Chiropractic Center, the annual event has grown from fewer than 100 parents and children to more than 3,500 in its 22 years of existence, not counting a 2020 event that was canceled due to COVID-19.
Surkosky and his wife, Dawn, have sponsored the event since its inception.
“As a local chiropractor, I spend much of my time both inside and outside of my practice helping children,” Surkosky said. “It is for this reason I chose to continue to sponsor this event in Butler.”
As the name implies, Kids Day America is a national event, with localities across America holding their own version of the event on the same day.
Each year, Kids Day America benefits a different local nonprofit institution in the Butler area. This year, the beneficiary is Butler YMCA, which was chosen because — according to Surkosky — "(its) values mirror those of Kids Day America. They include caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and faith.”
In past years, Kids Day America has benefited organizations such as Butler Catholic School, Butler Blind Association, the Autism Society of Butler County, and Butler County Alliance for Children, among many others.
In recent years, the centerpiece of Kids Day America has been the wildly popular Cow Patty Bingo, a relatively recent addition to the KDA festivities.
For Cow Patty Bingo, a grid of 500 squares will be painted on the grass at the Butler Farm Show grounds, and raffle tickets will be sold for each square. The cows — or “happy heifers,” as they are being called — will be led into the grid area to do their “business.” The raffle ticket holder for the square on which the cow makes its “deposit” will win a prize ranging from $100 to $1,000.
Cow Patty Bingo tickets are $20 each and are available in-person at Care Chiropractic Center.
Also on the schedule is “Cruza For Kids,” an antique car show where the twist is that children serve as the judges, so the winner may not be the most well-kept vintage car but a car that simply looks “cool” or different. Registration takes place from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on the day of the event.
Healthy living and environmental awareness are major themes of this event. The organizers will distribute literature on child safety, healthy lifestyles and crime prevention, among other subjects.
For more information or if you are interested in supporting the event financially, contact Care Chiropractic Center at 724-789-9797.
