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Tioga County Family Services filled the Green in Wellsboro on Saturday (29th) with all sorts of family fun! From face painting to the bouncy house, prizes and games to free food, the Event On The Green was the place to be. The department team planned this event to put a cap on their schedule for April, as April is “Child Abuse Prevention Month”. Family Services extended an invitation to organizations and services throughout the local area to provide information about the help they provide, as well as entertainment for the children. When asked about the vendor turn out, Family Services Manager, Michele Rigalbuto replied, “We had 40 sign up. It looks like a couple people may not have shown, but we have a full house, as far as I’m concerned.” Excited by the turn out, along with the enthusiasm of the crowd, Rigalbuto went on to describe some of the contributors to the bustle on The Green. “Animal Sanctuary’s here with a dog and a cat. Citizens and Northern brought a bouncy house for us. We have some kids planting flowers; we have a lot of face painting. Ring toss, free hot dogs, cookies from Subway…and, I think every booth here has an activity for kids.”

There certainly was not a shortage of entertainment for the day. Cowanesque Valley High School’s student council offered a “duck pond” with prize drawings, the KOALAS (find on Facebook by searching “KOALA’s Kids Of Addicts Love and Support) were giving a meaningful science demonstration encouraging children to be mindful of their health, and Mansfield University was present for face painting, as well as, providing a project team (from a Communities Class) completing an assignment inspired by Child Abuse Prevention Month. Many more displays were accounted for to make the event a huge success.

Thank you to Family Services, and everyone who joined their efforts to provide a fun and impactful day for the community! May we all stay vigilant in the fight against child abuse!