I See Orange

The EXPO! Afterglow

[caption id="attachment_2469" align="alignright" width="300"] Just Add Kids EXPO! 2014[/caption]

by Just Add Kids Founder,

Paula Herrmann

I stayed up late last night, taking waaay too long to formulate a letter of appreciation to the folks at Racine Unified School District. I sent it on to 7 recipients. I'm going to share it here with you.

Please read more...

 

Greetings!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     On behalf of myself, the Just Add Kids team, and our community at large, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for your support and partnership with this past Saturday's Just Add Kids EXPO!.

For the third year in a row, we've proven that when private and public entities work together with a common goal, great things can happen.  And boy, did they ever!

As a Racine mom of 4 kids, I launched Just Add Kids in the fall of 2009, with the mission of connecting our community's families via easily accessible platforms to area businesses/organizations that provide kid-oriented, family-friendly products/services and/or activities/events. I envisioned bringing Just Add Kids to life by producing a local signature hands-on fun and learning event that would be free for families to attend. That first humble event took place at Burlington RV's showroom, when Just Add Kids was just 3 months old.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         This year's event played host to nearly 100 organizations and drew in around 2,500 attendees. Highlights included the event's ever-present main stage, where school and other groups, such as the Mitchell Middle School Fashion-Doers, Starbuck Spartan Singers, Gilmore Pom Pons, and Horlick Theater Arts performed. This year, we added the LearningZone! which brought to life a snapshot of RUSD's Lighted Schoolhouse and AfterZone programs including Chess Academics, Robotics, and Skill-tastic. The LearningZone! also served as information headquarters regarding RUSD Summer School. We also added a PlayZone! area where a number of school PTAs and Boosters raised funds for their organizations by providing carnival games for the kids to play and win prizes. Finally, Case High School Football Booster Club and Case High School Theater group sold concessions to help fund their groups' activities. What a great, accessible, roomy destination Case became, bringing so many school groups, community organizations, and families together all under one roof!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          In the past 4 days since EXPO! I have been the recipient of countless emails; social media pictures/posts; voice mail messages; and in-person/on the phone compliments, cheers, in general, extremely positive feedback. The Journal Times has provided extensive coverage post-event. The event will be featured on local cable access, Belle TV. I am blown away!

Personally, I want to thank Kathy Dunkerson for her partnership and investment in the growth and evolvement of the event over the past 3 years. To Stacy Tapp for her on-going support in getting the word out through the right, effective pipelines, year after year. And especially to, many times, the unsung heroes of the event, Case Engineer Rick Torres and his team. And most notably, my go to guy all day long during event day, who I dub the "EXPO! Angel", Ron Hansen.

Fun was had by all, most importantly, the kids and families that came. I can tell you that, yet, I put together a picture collage that gives a snapshot of their experience. Please see attached.

I look forward to our future partnership. Thank you, Racine Unified School District!

Paula Herrmann, Founder

Just Add Kids...Putting Family Fun @ Your Fingertips!