Celebrating 50 years of Week of the Young Child in Brandon-Evansville, Alexandria with free book, other goodies

ECFE 0078.jpg — Three-year-old Avery Leard of Brandon receives a goodie bag from Brittany Meissner during a Week of the Young Child event in Brandon Thursday, April 22. Leard was at the event with her mom, Jaclyn Leard, and brother, Julian, 5 months. Meissner, who works for Horizon Public Health, is on the Brandon-Evansville Early Education Advisory Board. The bags were handed out to celebrate the 50th birthday of Week of the Young Child. (Celeste Edenloff / Echo Press)

By Celeste Edenloff

April 26, 2021 at 2:05 PM

About 150 goodie bags were handed out to Brandon-Evansville families with children 5 years of age and younger at a 50th birthday celebration for Week of the Young Child last week.

The Brandon-Evansville Early Education department in collaboration with Douglas County Early Childhood Initiative and Thrivent Financial hosted a drive-through/walk-through event Thursday, April 22, at the Brandon School.

About 68 goodie bags, containing a book, flower pot with seeds, toothbrush, toothpaste and coupons were handed out during the event, while the other 80-plus bags will be sent home during Early Education classes this week.

Several hundred free goodie bags were also delivered to all Alexandria area Early Childhood programs last week.

ECFE 0083.jpg — Tammy Bunting (middle) hands out goodie bags to Willem Nijland, 3, and his sister, Hannah, 18 months, who were being held by their parents, Anneke and Bas Nijland of Millerville. Bunting, who works for Horizon Public Health, is on the Brandon-Evansville Early Education Advisory Board. The bags were handed out to celebrate the 50th birthday of Week of the Young Child. (Celeste Edenloff / Echo Press)

By Celeste Edenloff

Celeste Edenloff is the special projects editor and a reporter for the Alexandria Echo Press. She has lived in the Alexandria Lakes Area since 1997. She first worked for the Echo Press as a reporter from 1999 to 2011, and returned in 2016 to once again report on the community she calls home.

Celebrating 50 years of Week of the Young Child in Brandon-Evansville, Alexandria with free book, other goodies

Celebration took place in Brandon Thursday, April 22.