LINC Caring Communities Day and all its love and joy went to the Southland in a big way, putting on its first Fall Festival version Oct. 19 in Hickman Mills.

LINC and the event’s co-sponsors — Community America Credit Union and Metropolitan Community College — drew around a thousand people to Longview Shopping Plaza at Blue Ridge Boulevard and Longview Road.

A brilliant fall sun shone on dancing and singing students, art shows, science shows, horse rides, crafts and rows of tables where community partners displayed their resources and services available to families in the area.

“The Fall Festival was more than just a seasonal celebration,” said LINC Commissioner Marj Williams, former superintendent of the Hickman Mills School District. “It was a crucial event that reinforces our collective commitment to the holistic development of our children, empowering them to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.”

The event was a “vital touchpoint,” she said, that gave many of the Southland’s service providers — as well as LINC — an opportunity that “highlighted the collaborative efforts of organizations dedicated to enhancing students’ academic and social experiences.”

It was a successful day for everyone, said LINC Caring Communities Supervisor Danisha Fultz, especially in the opportunities for the many student performers.

Many of them were kindergartners and early elementary students. “For the kids to have that big of an audience” was a great experience, she said. “It warmed my heart.”

Performers included the LINC Mighty Wild Eagles Drill Team and Drum Line, dance teams from Truman, Conn-West, and Dobbs elementary schools, and Warford Elementary’s choir.

For many of the LINC programs in the Hickman Mills, Center and Grandview school districts, the Fall Festival was a chance to celebrate their piece of the national event, Lights On Afterschool, that recognizes the important role of before- and after-school programs in supporting communities.

Other shows and performers included Lil Cupid, the Copper Boyz horse team, Mad Science and Corvette Connected. In addition to co-sponsors Community America and Metropolitan Community Colleges, other participants included Mid-Continent Public Library’s Reading Rocket, University Health, Urban League of Greater Kansas City, Justice in the Schools and Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Grandparents for Gun Safety, League of Woman Voters, Kansas City Fire Department, Kansas City Police Department and more.

“The Fall Festival promoted community bonding and networking,” Williams said. “This collaboration strengthened our community’s investment in its youth.”

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