Parental Gratitude

The soccer league is not just for kids to come and get their wiggles out. Parents are there every Saturday to watch and cheer on their kids. We appreciate parent involvement and support in the league because without them we wouldn't have a league.

Last Saturday we were scheduled to have a game at 9am for the 8-10 year old's at the Boulders field. When 9 o'clock rolled around there were two teams on the field warmed up, and ready to start playing. However, there were no referees to enforce the rules.  That's when I noticed three gentlemen/parents standing right outside the midfield line. These parents are there every week running up and down the side lines shouting tips to the players. I asked if they had referee experience. None of them did, but they knew the game just as well if not better than anyone else. All three gentlemen agreed to volunteer as referees for the game. On rare occasions do we have three refs at one game. This game was ideal for players because we were able to have two sideline refs and one on the field. I was so grateful to have parents there so early in the morning to help us with the soccer league. A big shout out to all the parents who are at our fields every weekend giving moral support to their children. Thank you!

Hooray for soccer!

We are now officially in our 6th season of the South Franklin Soccer League! Our first set of games was last Saturday (August 20). Games were going on at The Boulders and Franklin Elementary in Provo from 9am-1pm.

After two scrimmage days for youth to come sign up we currently have 109 kids playing in the program. There is still space to register but time is running out. Last day to register is August 27th. You can register by going to Centro Hispano (817 South 200 West Provo) or United Way (148 North 100 West Provo) and asking for a form. Any children from ages 5-18 can sign up and remember it's free!

Every weekend we look forward to a successful game day. Come join us and see what all the fun is about!

If you have any soccer experience, we are looking for referees to help during games on Saturdays. Please contact us if you're interested.

Boulders Apartments Pool Party

This afternoon Boulders Apartments hosted a pool party from 2-4 p.m.! Hopefully you had the good fortune of attending and enjoying the free sack lunch distributed by Boulders management, housekeeping and maintenance staff. Yum!

 

Representatives from different community organizations also attended in order to share information about their activities with party attendees. Utah Valley University's office of School, College & University Partnership signed up youth K-12 for free tutoring for the coming school year. Sign-ups were also available for the South Franklin Soccer League.

Representatives from the Provo Circles Initiative also came to share information about Circles and sign people up. As you can see, in South Franklin we're all about getting involved together and sharing. If you want any more information on any of these programs that were represented at the party, contact us!

We at South Franklin Community Center wish to thank the Boulders Apartments again (and again and again) for their generous donation of a space to use to gather as neighbors. Thanks for the smiles and the genuine care of the office staff, management, and maintenance crew, who are always hard at work to make our homes a safe and happy place to live!

Day Camp: Closing Social

Day Camp has come to a close for Summer 2011!  To celebrate, a closing social was held at the community center this afternoon.  Following a delicious potluck lunch served outside in shade of the trees, campers and their families were treated to a slideshow and special program in the community center.

After the slideshow, several campers from each group shared their favorite part of day camp.  The younger group treated the rest of the campers and audience to a dance set to Taio Cruz’s song “Dynamite.”

Summer Camp 2011 was a great success.  Special thanks to our volunteers who made our camp possible and to our staff members for their support.

If you missed any of our reports from camp, be sure to check the archives.  Visit our Facebook page for more pictures.

See you next summer!

Photos by Mark Hartman

Day Camp: Provo Rehab and Nursing

Day Camp ended for the week with the second field trip of the year, a visit to Provo Rehab and Nursing, a 24-hour care facility.  Today’s trip taught the campers about serving others and having fun.

The trip started off with the campers splitting into groups to prepare games to play with the residents in the courtyard of the facility.   Each group was in charge of a specific game, including ring toss, mini golf, and a cupcake walk.  Campers also had a chance to interact on a personal level with the residents, whether it was helping them with the games or just visiting with them.  One resident played a housekeeper in the Sound of Music, the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer!

At the end of the visit, the campers and residents thanked each other, and some campers helped the residents back to their rooms.

Thanks to Utah Valley Paratransit for the transportation, to our volunteers for helping with camp, and to Provo Rehab and Nursing for a wonderful visit!  

Want to see more pictures? Visit our Facebook page.

Photos by Mark Hartman

Day Camp: Teamwork Field Day

Day Campers continued their summer of learning and fun at Tuesday’s combined field day.  The special guest was U.S. Army Lieutenant Dane Sawyer who came to camp to teach about teamwork and discipline.  Lt. Sawyer demonstrated the proper way to do push-ups, and helped the campers understand why discipline and teamwork were important in the Army.  

Following his presentation, the campers split into teams and prepared for a day of field games.

The outdoor portion started with some stretching and instruction, after which the games began! First up was a pushup and situp competition, followed by a relay race, an obstacle course, and a three-legged race.

While the day was exhausting, the campers loved it and repeatedly asked for another day like this in the future.  Thanks to Lt. Sawyer, our staffers, and our volunteers for their help in making this day possible!

For more photos from Teamwork Field Day, be sure to visit our Facebook page.

Photos by Mark Hartman

Day Camp: Living Legends

Week 2 of Day Camp started Monday when campers met with some special visitors as members of BYU’s Living Legends came to perform for a combined day camp session.  Living Legends is a performing arts group from the School of Music at BYU which celebrates the music and dance traditions of Native Americans, Latin Americans, and the peoples of the islands of the South Pacific.  Each individual performance represented a different native people or location, including the Hoop Dance from New Mexico and another dance from Tahiti.  After the performers completed their program, there was a short Question & Answer session with the campers. 

Thanks to Jared, Amber, and Sam from Living Legends for performing for Day Camp, and special thanks to our volunteers for helping out.  It's not too late to volunteer! Visit our Google Doc signup sheet for more information.

Photos by Mark Hartman

Day Camp: Firefighter Presentation

Day Camp continued Wednesday at the Boulders with a combined session of the two age groups for a visit from Provo City firefighters and their fire engines.   Campers learned basic fire safety tips the firefighters, after which the two groups toured Engine No. 4, a 55-foot-long ladder truck, and Brush Engine No. 4, a heavy duty pickup truck turned into a brush firefighting vehicle.  Two lucky campers were selected to try on a firefighter’s gear, including boots, oxygen tank, and hat.

After the fire engine tour, the real fun began.  The firefighters unrolled a hose from Brush Engine No. 4 with the help of some campers, while other campers set up orange traffic cones on the soccer field as targets for the streams of water and to ensure the safety of the campers.  After a quick safety lecture and demonstration of the powerful hoses, each camper got to try their hand at the hose (with the assistance of a firefighter, of course).  Once each camper finished their turn at the hose, they lined up on the other side of the traffic cones to enjoy the cool water in the warm spring sun.

Special thanks to Provo City Firefighters Joe Clarke and Joel Burrows of Station No. 4 for bringing their equipment and putting on a great demonstration for the campers.


Want to see more photos from the firefighters visit to day camp? Visit our Facebook page.


Photos by Mark Hartman

Day Camp 2011

Summer was in the air at the Boulders on Monday morning as the South Franklin Community Center kicked off the Day Camp 2011.  Eager campers enjoyed a treat of muffins, fruit, and milk and juice while they registered and made name tags.  After registration, the campers introduced themselves and played some get-to-know-you games.

 

Campers also learned what they’ll be doing this year.  Throughout the summer, day camp participants will have the opportunity to play games, watch demonstrations from public safety officers and other guests, and go on a number of field trips.

The day camp is split into two age groups.  The first group is for children ages 6 through 8 and meets from 9 to 11:30 am, while the second group serves children ages 9 through 13 and meets from noon to 3:30pm.  On certain days the groups will combine and meet together at 10 am, such as on field trip and presentation days.

Special thanks to our volunteers for their help today.  It’s not too late to sign up to volunteer at Day Camp.   Visit the Google Doc signup sheet for more information.

More photos from day camp can be found at our Facebook page.

Photos by Matt Chambers

Thank you NuSkin

 Several NuSkin employees came to the South Franklin Community Center to help with a painting service project. They were hard at work cleaning off the surface of storage sheds on 650 West in the Boulders. They also primed all eight sheds, and were able to add color to two of the sheds, all within two hours. All of the employees came ready to work and willing to participate in something special going on in their community.

The sheds are being painted as part of a teen program beginning this summer. One of the activities being held is a mural drawing. Teenagers from the area will be submitting designs to be approved of, the youth will then have the opportunity to paint it themselves onto one of the sheds that have been primed and painted with a basic background color. This project will be going on all summer long and we are very excited to see the final product. 

If you happen to be in the neighborhood go ahead and take a look at the progress. If you know of any teens who live in the Franklin South neighborhood please invite them to submit a drawing. 

Thank you to all the NuSkin employees for getting us started with this project!

Team Work

I know the weather has been pretty lousy lately, but we at South Franklin know the antidote to be able to keep our spirits high. We focus on team building activities, especially during soccer on Saturdays. Whether stretching together...  

 giving a pep talk...

 or cheering each other on...

we never let the weather discourage us. If you would like to be apart of this wonderful antidote for bad weather, join us this Saturday from 9am to 1pm at the Boulders or Franklin Elementary fields. Don't forget the next 2 Saturdays are team pictures for picture day! So come looking your best for the camera.

Registration is now closed but remember to come back for fall season, starting August. We also have great things coming up like Summer Camp. We'll split the kids into 3 different age groups so they can enjoy appropriate age related activities. Please contact us if you're interested in volunteering, participating, or have questions, concerns, or suggestions. 801-691-5338 or southfranklin@unitedwayuc.org

Cancelled soccer games

Due to the sporadic weather, we had to cancel last Saturday's soccer games, but don't worry we won't miss a beat. We are continuing this Saturday by playing those games we missed. We will keep registration open another week and the season tournament will now be June 4th. We hope to see you guys out there to support your team. This Saturday looks like great, warm weather and the kids are anxious to play some games. If you have any questions you can call 801-691-5338 or email southfranklin@unitedwayuc.org.

We are still looking for refs to help out this season. You can sign up for games using the link on the right.

Easter Egg Hunt

‎"Easter, the day Jesus rose from the dead...what should we do? 

How 'bout eggs? 

What does that have to do with Jesus?

Ok, We'll hide em...

I am not following your logic...

Don't worry there's a bunny. " ~ Comedian, Jim Gaffigan

Well we didn't have a bunny, but we did have eggs and the kids raced to find them. After playing soccer for an hour these kids still had the energy to run around the playground looking for the eggs the Easter bunny left behind. Needless to say, we spectators had a blast watching the children enjoy their well deserved candy. 

Easter is over but our soccer season continues. This Saturday come watch kids ages 5-18 play their heart out. Registration ends this month so be the first to sign up.

First Game of the Season

GOAL!!

We had such a great turn out for our games last Saturday! There were kids having fun, parents registering their children, coaches smiling, and others cheering for their teams. Our next games are this Saturday the 23rd at Boulders and Franklin Elementary.

The little kids are so fun to watch! 

Our 2 older age groups play at the Franklin field where they can have  more room to stretch.

We are also going to be hosting an Easter egg hunt for the kids ages 5-7 at 12pm at the Boulders playground. It's going to be so fun and cute! We will have pictures posted from that next week, but come and experience it yourself this Saturday. If you have little kids at home bring them too because I'm sure they would love another Easter egg hunt.

Games tomorrow

Sunny with a high of 63 degrees! Perfect weather for our soccer games tomorrow. Come, bring a blanket and friends to cheer for your favorite team. You will also be able to register tomorrow during games, for all kids ages 5-18. Some games will be at Boulders field, others will be at Franklin Elementary starting at 9am until 1pm.

Game Day

Though the weather is still flirting with winter, spring is in the air and soccer season is here. Mark your calendars because the South Franklin Community Center’s Soccer League has its first game day on April 9th. Run completely by community volunteers and donations, the program is a part of United Way of Utah County’s focus on education and helping children succeed in school and beyond. The South Franklin Community Center is in its 5th season of providing a free soccer league to families in Utah County. On April 9th, eight games are scheduled and soccer players, ages 5-18, are eager to start the season off with a win. Don’t miss out; grab a blanket, a poster, your favorite fold out chair and your best friend. See you on the sidelines!

POSTER IDEAS:   GOAL!! -GO, FIGHT, WIN!- Nice Shot- Beckham’s got nothing on YOU!

The soccer league is still in need of volunteers, specifically referees. If you are interested in volunteering, visit http://bit.ly/ehcNB2 .

When: April 9, 2011

Where: Boulder Apartment Field & Franklin Elementary Field

Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

By: Allyse Robertson from United Way of Utah County

Relief is on the way

During the past few days, it seems like the world has been bombarded with bad news. Difficult situations are happening internationally, as well as locally. As I was feeling bogged down with recent events this morning, I was touched to see the great response from members of the community and members around the world.

When the Boulders Apartments in Provo were struck with tragedy last night, we were grateful for the local Red Cross, who were on the scene quickly. They helped set-up a temporary shelter and make sure all community members were ok. When a local disaster occurred, they speedily responded and provided relief.

I have also been impressed with the different organizations, including the Red Cross, who have helped with the tsunami recovery in Japan. Individuals throughout the world are looking for places to donate and ways to help with relief efforts. If you are interested in helping tsunami victims in Japan, visit the InterAction site for a list of organizations. If you are interested in helping with disasters in Utah, talk to the Red Cross.  It’s truly amazing to see that during a crisis, community members will step up to provide the relief that’s needed.

Written by Carrie Toolson of United Way of Utah County