JACKSON, Mich. – Now expanded to a two-day event, American 1 Federal Credit Union's annual Kids' Fest, a health and safety fair, attracted more than 2,500 attendees with over 40 interactive booths, carnival games and tons of food and prizes.
Held at the Jackson Fair Events Center from June 2-3, American 1 teamed up with the Jackson County Health Department the first day and featured a family-focused day the next.
"We are a community driven credit union and kids and families are the main focus of the community," marketing director Kristi Latoszewski said about why American 1 started holding Kids' Fest about eight years ago.
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A variety of events and activities, including a bike safety demonstration, bike helmet raffle, seatbelt crash ride, dental health show, Ronald McDonald magic show, Dahlem Center music assembly, and a petting zoo kept families entertained throughout the day. Kids could also interact with American 1′s eagle mascot, Earnsley, and Safety Pup as they made their way around the event learning about health and safety topics.
"We packed more fun, safety- and health-related activities into two days," said Lisa Wilson, American 1′s marketing assistant and event co-chair.
American 1 also provided free popcorn and cotton candy, and hot dogs and soda were available for a small cost. A local pizzeria offered slices of pizza for $1, the Jackson Transportation Authority provided free bus rides to the event, and about 50 other local organizations and businesses participated.
It wasn't all fun, the CU had on-site member sign-ups available, but according to Latoszewski the response was small. "We get contact information from families during the event and cold call later. It works out well, but our main focus is to help other businesses in the community promote their services free of charge."
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