County baby shower, kids fair a night out for the whole family

Pleasanton Rural Fire Department Capt. Jeff Wisdom lets a potential firefighter recruit try on a self-contained breathing apparatus pack at last year's combination Baby Shower and Kids Fair. (Journal file photo)

By Roger Sims, rsims@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – The annual Linn County Baby Shower and Kids Fair has become a must-do event for expectant mothers, new moms, and families who already have a brood in tow. In addition to informational booths by at least 20 local vendors, there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for the whole family, including a free dinner for everyone who walks in the door.

The event returns this Friday, April 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Mound City located a mile east of Mound City at the intersection of Kansas Highway 52 and Paine Road.

Targeting Linn County residents only, families will receive raffle tickets at no charge when they register at the front door.

Sponsored by the Linn County Health Department, the prizes include items for expectant mothers, games for older children and a series of grand prizes that include gift cards, event tickets and passes. The health department uses grant money to fund the event.

Prizes for expectant families include everything baby: car seats, strollers, monitors, diaper bags, baths and gates, to name a few.

For 6- to 15-year-olds the prizes include motor skill games, pool toys, corn hole games and other outdoors games and activities.

Department Director Amanda Snyder said the grand prizes include tickets to the Kansas City Royals game, Casey’s gift cards, pool passes to local swimming pools, a gift certificate to Louisburg Cider Mill, and passes to an outdoor trampoline and adventure park.

This year at the department’s table, there will be food packages that conform to the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) guidelines for mothers who are breastfeeding. One lucky winner will receive all of those food items, Snyder said.

Weather permitting, the Kids Fair will feature touch-a-truck outside in the parking lot. That will give kids a chance to climb up in a fire engine and see county road equipment as well as vehicles used by area law enforcement agencies and first responders.

Snyder said that several area programs and companies will have booths at the events. The expected vendors include AuBurn Pharmacy, Parents as Teachers, Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, area libraries, the 911 Kids program, and of course, the health department.