Winterfest just took place in Grand Haven, and one of the big events was the Cardboard Sled Race. On Friday evening, GHAPS hosted a sled building night at White Pines Middle School and the event was fantastic. The school opened for three hours, provided sled building supplies, helped get sleds registered and inspected, and then transported sleds to the hill.
The Cardboard Sled Race is a wonderful event that draws participation from hundreds of children in the community. This year the event was as pure and free of political messaging as any event can be these days. There was a little competition, a little excitement, and lots of children marveling at the interesting creations.
(Picture courtesy of MLive.)
The GHAPS Sled Building Event essentially took all of the sled building pressure off of the families. Large cardboard pieces were readily available. Markers and paper were available. All families needed were tape, scissors, and creativity.
I am thankful that GHAPS hosted this event. It was special to see a gym full of families and friends working together and visiting, turning flat pieces of cardboard into sleds through creativity and imagination. As children began to figure out what others were building, the conversations really got going. Events like this make the community stronger. It will be a simple, yet special memory many families will look back on with fondness.
Seeing the actual sled races the next morning was almost an afterthought to me. Personally, I kept thinking about how the prior evening’s sled-building event brought people together. We really need more of this!
So, thank you to GHAPS for this event. We may be critical at times, but we know good things happen too. When it comes to Cardboard Sled Building, you got it just right.