(Forsyth County, GA) This Saturday, April 15, Forsyth County families can look forward to the Family First Villages Family Fun Day at Vickery Creek Middle School. Kids and adults can play outdoors from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with multiple bouncy houses or other inflatables. There will also be free face painting and vendors showing off food, jewelry, gifts, and other locally-made items.
Families can purchase tickets ahead of time here. Take your e-tickets on the day of the event to pick up a wristband for unlimited jump time.
Make sure to select the correct age group when purchasing tickets (2-5-year-olds, 6-12-year-olds, and 13+). Each group will have three age-appropriate jumping options.
There will be Frozen, Paw Patrol, and circus-themed bounce houses for the younger kids and an obstacle course, Star Wars, and Jurassic World-themed options for the elementary-aged kids. Kids 13 and older and adults can enjoy an inflatable lumberjack-themed ax-throwing game, a life-sized Hungry Hippos game, and a Millennium Falcon bounce house for living out all their space smuggler dreams.
If you need to do some shopping for Mother’s Day or other upcoming spring events, there will be more than 50 vendors at the Family Fun Day Pop-Up Market too. Fresh bread, candies, pastries, and seafood will all be on offer as well as jewelry, candles, soaps, honey, and more.
Family First Villages
Family Fun Day is one of the first fundraising projects for Family First Villages, a project that aims to create a live, work, and play community for special needs adults in Forsyth County. Local resident Julie Carter started Family First Villages because of her sister, Annie, a special needs adult.
“I want Annie to live in a safe community where she can walk to work and have friends,” Carter said. “I want her to have care, but also independence. I want her to have a job where she feels like a valued member of society, but I want her to be protected in a working environment where managers and employees are trained how to engage positively with special needs individuals.”
The Forsyth County school system, Parks and Recreation Department, and other organizations all offer programming and support for special needs individuals, but options become more limited as they become adults and leave the school system. Housing for special needs adults is a specific challenge in the area. Carter’s research showed that 96% of special needs adults in Forsyth County lived with a parent because of limited housing options.
Family First Villages Future Plans
Family First Villages plans to first create a family entertainment complex near Post Road and Highway 9, both of which the county plans to widen with future construction projects. The complex would offer attractions such as mini golf, batting cages, and concessions areas while providing work opportunities for special needs adults.
Next, from the revenue generated by the complex, Family First Villages would create housing. The workers could live on-site, making it easier for them to access job opportunities and be part of a supportive community. It would also be a huge benefit for families who would otherwise have to pay for relatives to live in a special needs facility, where monthly costs may be anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 – or more. Plus, residents of the facility could stay in Forsyth County near their friends, families, and familiar environments.
“We’re hoping to create an ecosystem where the entire project can become self-sustaining,” shared Carter. Fundraisers like Family First Day will help them along the path to reaching this goal.
You can learn more about Family First Villages and their plans on their website. Vickery Village Middle School, the host location for Family Fun Day, is at 6240 Post Road in Cumming.
Do you know a great organization serving special needs individuals in Forsyth County? Email us at kbondwriter@gmail.com or comment below to let us know.
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