The Right Path just wrapped our 8th summer of safe teen and family events with Block Party 2012. With over 3,000 youth participating in dances and swim parties throughout the summer, we are thankful for the outpouring of support from our community.
Marietta College partnered with us every Tuesday Night, making the Gathering Place available for our teen dances. The City of Marietta and Recreation Department helped make our Teen and Family Night swim parties at the MAC affordable for families as we encouraged a couple of hours of family time. Our radio partners, Clear Channel and WMOA had giveaways and helped us judge our many contests including the hula hoop, biggest splash and fastest swim across the lap pool. Thanks to Wendy's, Ray Blackburn and Kelly Ortiz, we were able to give away countless Frosty Floats for everyone to enjoy.
We partnered with the City of Belpre during their Homecoming for "Healthy Families Night" and the New Hollow concert on Aug. 2. Thanks to the United Way of Washington County, we collaborated with the Beverly Pool's "Community Night" to bring a mini-foam party to youth and families.
Our 8th annual Block Party, sponsored by United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley, welcomed Mobile Jams Entertainment with tunes and 6 feet of foam, Time Well Wasted Backyard Inflatables brought their obstacle course and jousting ring, Little Caesar's Pizza made pizza and pop available and Ron's Port-a-John's supplied our potties. Thanks to Maribeth Browne and her donation of 100 pair of flip flops, we had a flip flop decorating contest complete with local celebrity judges. This will be a "bring-back" for next year and we will encourage more youth to get in on the fun.
Our Block Party is always the "last blast of summer," but all The Right Path's events couldn't happen without the following partners: The Right Path: Lynn and Mark Doebrich, Karen and Carl Waller, Justin Moody, Miriam Keith, Maggie Webster; Washington County Behavioral Health Board; our youth: Kevin, Andrew, Josie, Adam, Colton, Jonathan, Emelia, Travis, Devon, Jay, Cain and all of you who stepped up to the plate at our events; Mobile Jams Entertainment: Don Liedtke, Bob Hickman; our regular every Tuesday Night chaperones: Trevor Brack, Bruce Johnson, Pat Amrine, Lynn and Mark Doebrich, Justin Moody, Ashley Cronin and Monica Strickler; Eve, Inc.: Prevention Specialists Lashley Earley. Lynnaya Ross; our media partners: Clear Channel Radio, Greg Siegfried, Doug Phelps, Chuck Poet and Kirk McCall; WMOA Radio: Johnny Wharff, Jamey Styer, Austin James; Marietta Times: Claire Heiby; The Anchor: Callie Lyons and Brad Bauer; The Marietta Aquatic Center: Susie Joyce, Stephanie, Calob and their very capable life guards; and many others who made our summer such a success.
Cathy Harper, coordinator
The Right Path
A United Way Agency
