Dixon Family Services Wants to Thank You, Dixon

Dixon Family Services shared this letter with the community on Wednesday, May 1.  

Once again, the Dixon Community Block Party was a success and very enjoyable. Saturday was a beautiful day for a community event in downtown Dixon and Dixon Family Services thanks all who helped make the fun, free and meaningful event possible for children and families in the Women’s Improvement Club (WIC) Park.

The 18th Annual Dixon Community Block Party provided live entertainment, free games and crafts, free jump house, and various delicious concessions for approximately 300 people. Parents learned about healthy activities for their children including karate, singing, soccer, exercise, scouts, 4-H and more.  Agencies that provide child care, after school programs and kids’ health insurance were also on hand with information, brochures, games and freebies for all.

As in every Block Party the Dixon Police and Fire Departments and the Solano County Sheriff’s Departments were there to greet the public, gave out safety information, jelly bellies and stickers and they allowed the children to get in their vehicles, providing an opportunity for kids to interact with law enforcement in a positive way.  We appreciate that these departments have been with us since the very first Block Party.  The kids love the vehicles, rescue vehicles, canine officers and posse horses they bring.

The Dixon Block Party started 18 years ago when Dixon Family Services (DFS) and the Dixon Advocates for Children and Youth (DAC) set out to create increased awareness of child abuse and how to prevent it.  April is Child Abuse Awareness month and our Block Party usually falls right on the “Day of The Child”, or “Día de los Niños”.

It has become a tradition for the Citizen of the Year to lead the Blue Ribbon Ceremony.  This year’s Citizens of the Year, Carol and Dave Johnson reminded everyone that children are our most precious resource, so all citizens need to become more aware of child abuse, signs to look for, ways to prevent it, and how to report it.

The blue ribbons tied onto the WIC Park sign represent cases of child abuse or neglect in 2012.  They pointed out that there were approximately 300 reported allocations of abuse or neglect in 2012 right here in our own community and that there are more cases that go unreported.

For more information on child abuse please call Dixon Family Services at 678-0442 or visit our website.  You can also visit the Solano County Children’s Alliance website at www.childnet.org for additional information.

This year financial support for the Block Party came from Dixon ATOD, First 5 Solano and Dixon Wal-Mart. And for the second year in a row, we are grateful to S & J Party Jumps for providing a huge jump house, free of charge, which many children enjoyed all day long. Wal-Mart also provided a crew of volunteers to monitor kids in the jump house.

Live entertainment was provided by some long-time favorites such as Ramtown Karate, Dixon Music Studio and Miracle Christian Worship Center.  This year we were also treated to the readings of a famous poet, Francisco X Alarcón.  The Dixon Public Library, with a grant from First 5 Solano, was able to provide the award-winning poet for reading, signing and distributing free copies of his books at the Block Party.  All of the live entertainment was delightful for all who were present at the Block Party and we very much appreciate their performances.

Dixon Family Services thanks EVERYONE who helped make the Block Party a success.

Sincerely, Cookie Powell