Imagine Marietta police officers and fire fighters competing in an eating contest against the youth of Franklin Gateway. Imagine a tug-a-war competition between apartment complexes. Each year, community partners, volunteers, and families of Franklin Gateway come together for the YELLS Franklin Fair. It is a day full of high energy and laughter, and it’s planned and led entirely by YELLS Mentoring Program youth. Bigs and Littles hosted the 5th annual Franklin Fair after months of planning, writing proposal letters, and soliciting partners and support.
This year, our Marietta Police Department and Marietta Fire Department partners were great sports! They participated alongside neighborhood kids in a pie eating contest, water balloon toss, and definitely took the prize in tug-of-war.
As our youth give back to their community, they grow as servant-leaders themselves. Donte is about to graduate and has been in YELLS all four years of his high school career. He’s been a part of the Franklin Fair team, and he shares how leading this event has impacted his own life: “Before YELLS, I never thought I would get a chance to make change and actually be happy while doing it. Four years in, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve hosted events and met important people that I never thought I would meet. YELLS is the dream I had when I was younger brought to life.”
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