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The North State Fatherhood Task Force will sponsor an annual event called The Big Race where Everyone is a Winner.

Erick--Home Depot #20

WHAT and HOW

The Big Race is a family event with a focus on Fatherhood, in celebration of the Week of the Young Child. In this fun-filled and creative event, each participating child teams up with a male role model such as the child’s father, grandfather, uncle, brother, cousin, or another positive male role model. The event is for families from all cultures and generations, and families without a positive male role model are also encouraged to participate, volunteer or provide spectator support.

The assignment for each role-model-and-child race team is to design and construct a race car together, made out of a cardboard box, to be used on race day.  The children race their cars by running inside of them, and so each child must be able to fit inside his or her car and to run with it by holding onto it or by using straps attached to the car.

Each race car is labeled with the name of the driver (child’s name), the number of the car, and the sponsor of the car. The race car’s sponsor name is anything the team wants to advertise on their car, such as where the child’s parents work, or the child’s favorite food or movie character.

There is a special aspect to the numbers chosen for each race car—teams choose a number from 1 to 40 to correspond to one of the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, and through this, each team adopts an Asset for the race. 
The Developmental Assets will be introduced and explained during Week of the Young Child workshops.

WORKSHOPS

The workshops preceding the event will also highlight the importance of each role model’s connection with their child and insights into the tremendous value of play and fun that occur through sharing this hands-on activity together. The workshops will also include tips on building a race car, how to incorporate literacy and science in the race car’s construction, ideas for maintaining a child’s interest in the project, and an explanation of race day activities as well as a video of last year’s event. Workshops will be held Friday April 3rd; Friday April 10th; Friday April 17th 5:30 to 7:00 at the Rowell Family Empowerment of Northern California conference room. 962 Maraglia St. Redding, CA 96002.