The Fox Valley Park District resumes its partnership with six schools throughout Aurora and North Aurora to offer its traditionally-popular Sports Saturdays program.
Free to resident families with children in grades first through fifth, Sports Saturdays provide a supervised environment for children to interact in activities that include sports, crafts, and general fitness.
“Sports Saturdays lets kids have a little bit of traditional fun in the gym by giving them time with friends and friendly staff,” said Fox Valley Park District recreation manager Rafael Martinez, who oversees the program. “No video games, just a gym with sports equipment and kids running around and having some old-school fun.”
Similar to last year, Sports Saturdays will run for 11 weeks, to begin Saturday, Jan. 11. Previously held for eight weeks, the program was expanded in 2019, thanks to grant funding provided by the Fox Valley Park Foundation.
Sports Saturdays will be held at the following times, dates and locations (residents may attend any location):
Dates: January 11, 18, 25; February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; March 7, 14, 21.
Times: Grades first through second, 9 a.m. to noon; grades third through fifth, noon to 3 p.m..
Locations: West Aurora School District 129: Hall, McCleery, and Schneider Elementary Schools;
East Aurora School District 131: Gates, Hermes, and O’Donnell Elementary Schools.
“It’s a program that gives kids a place to have safe and fun recreational opportunities through the entire Winter, and it’s also a great way for kids to make new friends since participants are invited to attend any of the six locations,” said Martinez, who said that several hundred children participate each year. “Every year, I get great feedback from parents, many telling me that their kids start asking when the program will be starting again,” Martinez said.
A registration form is required for each participant and will be provided at each site throughout the 11-week program. Each participant is only required to fill out one form on his/her first visit.
—Fox Valley Park District