By David Fortier
For the second year, the Bristol Boys and Girls Club held an egg hunt and social with bouncy houses and face painting at Zbikowski Park off Lake Avenue.
“We just want to get back to the community and see the kids have some fun,” said Rayshe Ramirez, BBGC associate director of resource development, on Saturday, March 30 as she moved from one task to another.
Last year the event drew 60. This year, Ramirez said she was hoping for over 100. By 1 p.m., 75 kids and their parents were on the field between Lillian and Rollison roads. By the end of the day, the number neared 100.
“There used to be a club there (at Zbikowski), so there is nowhere the kids can hang out,” Ramirez said, “so we are trying to do more things with Zbikowski for our youth.”
The club’s outreach ended a few years ago when the plaza around the corner from Zbikowski was purchased by HRA and turned into an early childhood learning center.
Ramirez oversaw the event planning, which involved stuffing plastic eggs, arranging for volunteers and working with other club staff, including Deedee Durham, youth professional development at the BBGC’s Cambridge Park Club.
“We have a lot of great helpers and a lot of volunteers that helped me come and bring this together,” Ramirez said. “So it looks like this year is going even better and even bigger.”
She also worked with Scott Rosado, local business owner and president of the BBGC board, who donated funds for the 2,000 plastic eggs, contents, bouncy houses, pizza, materials for face painting and tattoos and local DJ D’Nice.
“This neighborhood has a very special place in our hearts,” Ramirez said about her and Rosado, who grew up in the neighborhood.
Rosado picked up on the theme of connecting the BBGC with the neighborhood in a brief address.
From top left, clockwise, families and youth gather for the event; parent and children linger by the bouncy house; Scott Rosado, from Bristol Boys and Girls Club board president, addresses the crowd as Jay Maia, BBGC president and CEO looks on; kids decide on wash-off tattoos; and the bouncy house draws a crowd. | David Fortier
“Jay (Maia, president and chief executive officers of the Bristol Boys and Girls Club) and I are really actively working on getting a connection here,” Rosado said. “We want our kids to have something to do after school. and we think this is a steppingstone in the right direction.”
He recognized several local politicians among them State Rep. Mary Fortier and former Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu.
From top left, clockwise, young participants strategize; parents and kids navigate the event; more bouncy house deliberations; face painting; Rayshe Ramirez and Deedee Durham transport one of the boxes containing 2,000 plastic eggs for the hunt later in the day; and volunteers assist with face painting duties. | David Fortier
“When we talk about what people do and how things are made, those things start right here with people like her, because guess what? She’s the one that really tries to get our funding and stuff set here for all of us on many levels,” Rosado said about Fortier.
In his comments about Zoppo-Sassu he referred to her commitment to diversity the membership of city boards and commissions.
“One thing about EZS is this,” Rosado said, “she really fights for everyone in this community. When she started as mayor , we had three people on our boards and commissions of color, men and women that serve that make the changes in our community.
“When she left, we had 43, and guess what, she gave me the opportunity to serve this community as well.”
“This is very, very crucial,” Rosado said, “because these are changes that we need to make, to be your voices and advocates and changes in this community. So it’s very important that your voice matters. You may say it doesn’t, but it does.”
Rosado also acknowledged youth volunteers from the club and appealed to the families and children gathered to get involved with the club.
“We want all of your kids to participate in this program and have the same opportunities that all the other kids have as well,” he said.
Among the volunteers were several beauty pageant winners, including Miss Wolcott Teen 2023 Sage Cibula, Miss Nutmeg 2024, Monica Fenwick and Miss Connecticut Teen, Emily Anastasio, who assisted with face painting.
Free t-shirts were donated by Primo Press, and Bounce House Rentals discounted the cost of the bouncy houses.
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