YDU Hosts Winter Dances and Last Bike Giveaway of 2023

YDU treated the children of three Chester Upland School District elementary after-school programs to winter dance parties this week, thanks to support from DCIGRA, The Foundation for Delaware County, volunteers Lannie Hulnick, Nick Kaplinsky and Kim Schmucki, staffers Dahlia Kuzemka, Raina Kuzemka, Ashley Serrano, Ms. Yolanda Jackson, Ms. Nichola Thompson, Ms. Jody Zamonski, and other supporters.

At Main Street Elementary on Tuesday, at Stetser Elementary on Wednesday, and at Edgmont Scholars Academy on Thursday, a DJ got all the kids moving until it was time for a well-rounded dinner. As the festivities ended, each child was sent home with care packages filled with nutritious groceries (provided at a discount by Swarthmore Co-Op) to help increase their access to healthy choices over winter break. Also, five free bicycles were raffled off in connection with YDU’s efforts to promote cycling in Greater Chester as yet another uplifting form of physical activity. (Since the initiative started in November 2022, YDU has tuned and given away 214 donated bikes in the community.)

The dance parties were inspired by the joyful memories of the Zoom dance parties that our organization put on during the height of the pandemic, spreading smiles on dark days. DJ Bizzy B helped entertain the kids and families of our program in December 2021, January 2021 and Novermber 2020.

All attendees of this week’s parties were grateful to dance with their friends in person as a kickoff to Winter Break 2023.

The photos below are from Edgmont, where Ms. Nichola Thompson reported, “We had an awesome time. Thank you for investing in our students.”

Click here to see photos from Main Street and Stetser Elementary Schools.