Release Date: August 26,2020
Mayor Horrigan and Full-Term First Birthday Akron, Infant Vitality Collaborative, to Host Two Drive-Thru Community Baby Showers
Events will be held on August 29 and September 12; pre-registration required
Akron, Ohio, August 25, 2020 — For the past three years, the City of Akron, Summit County Public Health and members of the infant vitality collaborative Full Term First Birthday Akron have hosted a community “First Birthday Party” to celebrate the lives of the babies born in Akron and Summit County. The annual event, which involves free food, family-friendly games and activities, education, and giveaways, will be postponed until 2021 to prevent community spread of COVID-19. Instead, the Full Term First Birthday Collaborative will host two drive-thru baby showers in partnership with The House of the Lord and The Word Church to provide new and expecting mothers with fun and essential items for their child’s first year.
“Being a new parent is challenging and exhausting, and even more so during a global pandemic when support, connection, and community can feel more difficult to access,” Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said. “While we are disappointed we cannot come together for a big community celebration this year, we are pleased to continue to provide new and expecting parents with resources and baby products as they embark on the all-important first year of a new life. We hope this event provides an opportunity to celebrate and uplift the growing families in our community and remind them that we care.”
The first Drive-Thru Baby Shower will take place on Saturday, August 29, from 1 pm - 3 pm at the House of the Lord located at 1600 Diagonal Road, Akron 44320. The second Drive Thru Baby Shower will take place on Saturday, September 12, from 1pm-3pm at the Word Church located at 1700 Brittain Road, 44310.
“The drive-thru showers present a unique opportunity for our community to interact with our families during this time. We are grateful for the collaboration of our partners and the ongoing support which allowed these events to happen,” added Shaleeta Smith, Manager, Maternal and Child Health at Summit County Public Health.
Pre-registration is required for the event, and baby shower baskets will be customized based on the needs of the expecting mother or the age of the infant. Participants can register for the event at www.surveymonkey.com/r/
The FTFB Collaborative would like to thank all our volunteers and the community partners who are helping to make these event possible through their generous donations, including: Summit County Public Health, Buckeye Health Plan, Akron Children’s Hospital, Summa Health, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, United Way of Summit and Medina Counties, Molina Healthcare, Care Source, Project MKC, Community Action Akron Summit, Ohio WIC, AMHA, Child Guidance and Family Solutions, Project Ujima, Axess Pointe, Greenleaf Family Center, Community Legal Aid, Paramount Advantage, Hope 7, Akron Pregnancy Services and Bright Star Books.