Afterschool event termed a 'success'

More than 75 children, parents, business and community leaders came together recently at a “Lights On Afterschool” event at the Libby Dam to celebrate the importance of keeping the lights on and the doors open for afterschool programs.

The Libby Lights On Afterschool participants saw students enjoy Halloween activities that light up the night in a safe and sober event. 

Libby has been able to drop its staggering and high underage drinking statistics because of efforts of the local community.  

The afterschool program has helped play its part by providing activities for youth after school hours.

This year marked the 12th annual Lights On Afterschool, sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance.  More than 1 million Americans took part in the nationwide rally to support afterschool programs.

 “It is a powerful reminder that afterschool programs keep children safe, inspire them to learn, and relieve working parents of worries about how their children spend their time after school hours,”  Kaide Dodson, Libby Afterschool Program Coordinator and National Afterschool Alliance Ambassador, said.

A significant body of research demonstrates that students who attend afterschool programs regularly are more likely to improve their grades, tests scores and overall academic behavior. 

This year, more than  80 Libby students and community leaders were able to participate in Lights-On Halloween extravaganza that included haunted tours of the Libby Dam, scavenger hunts, glow disc golf, cake walk, pumpkin carving, bobbing for applies, and many more fun activities. 

Students were bused from the school to the dam, received a banquet of food, goodies, prizes, and treats. 

“Thanks to the support of the community and the Libby Dam, we were able to put forth a five-hour Halloween event for our youth and giveaway wonderful prizes, goodie bags filled with glow jewelry, flashing bulbs, and flashlights, so basically we were able to light-up the night with our students,”  Didson said.

Next year, the Libby Afterschool Program and Libby Dam hope to put on another event that would be open to the community.