Action in Recovery holds 2nd Kids Day
Perched on a small seat on a hinge above a tank full of water on Saturday, Jason Beckwith boldly challenged children and adults to throw accurately.
About half of them managed to land a rubber ball on target — and those who didn't got to push the target by hand. Beckwith, the founder of nonprofit Action in Recovery, ended up in the water one way or another.
“We're just having fun with the kids,” said Beckwith during AIR's second annual Kids Day in Rotary Park in Butler. “We're giving away basketballs, footballs, dolls, action figures.”
Kids Day is an event that allows adults in recovery to enjoy some fellowship while their children play.
AIR organizes activities and service projects to help people in recovery become active in the community.
Activities on Saturday included basketball, corn hole, rock painting, sand art and children's games.
“This is to bring unity back to the community,” said Beckwith, who is also in recovery.
The Butler Drug and Alcohol Program, Butler's police and fire departments and the Butler County commissioners support AIR.
“The interaction is phenomenal,” Commissioner Kevin Boozel said while children talked and tossed some free throws with firefighters and police officers. “I think it's a pretty awesome program.”
He said he was heartened to see children interacting with police and firefighters and people wanting to talk to him.
“They are really down to Earth,” Boozel said about the men in uniform. “I want people to talk to us.”
“I'm having a blast here,” said police Lt. Brian Grooms, who brought his canine Gunner.
“Single moms in recovery need these activities,” said Nichole McCabe, an AIR volunteer who brought her three children to Kids Day. “The kids can play safe and the moms can talk about issues in recovery.”
Morgan McGinley, is another volunteer who brought her two children to the event.“It's a nice way to get people together. It's nice to talk and have fun. So many people in recovery have kids,” she said.McCabe and McGinley are developing a new AIR program called Building Blocks, which would take families on day trips to museums and other sites.Donna White, Beckwith's sister, said her entire family is proud of him and the AIR program.“We're extremely proud of him and what's accomplished with this group, and the changes he's made in his life,” White said.Josh Meehan, owner of Trick Labs, an auto custom shop in Hansen Avenue, is so impressed with the program he volunteered to put his hobby, aerial photography, to work for the group.He filmed Kids Days with his advanced drone, which sports five cameras, GPS, radar, crash avoidance technology and auto pilot, and can return home with a touch of a button on a controller. He said he will produce a video and give it to the organization to help with publicity.“I just like to donate and help out when I can. I think what they're doing is just awesome. I want to help kids to be able to run around and feel safe. Hopefully we'll see a better life for kids and residents,” Meehan said.
