4 September, 2013
Activate Youth Ministry (AYM) will host its sixth annual Block Party for 6th-12th graders on Friday, Sept. 27, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Connect Community Church located at 280 Pleasant St. Ashland, MA 01721.
AYM host this free event every year to offer local kids in Ashland and surrounding towns a safe place to gather and have a great time.
“Everybody loves the Block Party! It’s a win for parents because it’s a safe environment offering ‘good, clean fun,’ and it’s a win for the kids because they have a fantastic time,” AYM Director Holly Sander said. “This year’s event will be our biggest and best yet. Last year the event drew around 320 kids, and we’re expecting over 400 this year from Ashland, Hopkinton, Holliston, Framingham, Natick , plus other surrounding communities."
“We offer this event as a free service to the entire community, regardless of whether people attend our church, or our youth group. If you are a parent, we want you to know that any of your 6th grade through 12th grade kids are invited.” Sander said.
AYM’s teens, who call themselves “Activators,” are once again working diligently to spread the word about the Block Party. “The Activators are passing out over 1,000 invites to friends and schoolmates. They will be canvassing schools during lunches, events and football games, and, of course, they’re promoting the event via Facebook and Twitter,” Sander said.
Block Party 2013 will offer free food, games, prizes and fun. “Each year we try to outdo ourselves and make the night even more fun for the kids,” Sander said. “This year one of our big draws will be the addition of a ‘mobile video game theater’ with seven wide-screen high-definition TVs, stadium seating, and the newest games for Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.”
The Block Party will also offer inflatable competition games like “Rapid Fire,” “The Wrecking Ball,” and a 65-foot Obstacle Course. There will also be a photo booth, frozen treats, hot dogs, burgers, popcorn, cotton candy and lots of prizes. This year, AYM will give away about $700 worth of raffle prizes, including iPods, sports gear, movie tickets, gift cards for Dunkin’ Donuts, Game Stop, Ben & Jerry’s, iTunes, and much more.
