EASTON – The public is invited to an evening of free ice skating from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 29, 2019 at the Talbot County Community Center as part of Talbot Goes Purple.
Talbot County Department of Parks & Recreation is waiving the $7 per person admission for this event, which is open to everyone. Skate rental is available at $3 each, and the snack bar will be open with inexpensive food like burgers and fries. Anyone who brings in a pair of new mittens, gloves or socks can get free skates. Parks and recreation staff will then donate those cold weather items to a local organization that helps people who are homeless this holiday season.
“Talbot County is pleased to work with the sheriff’s office in offering a skate night to raise awareness for the opioid crisis,” said Preston Peper, director of Talbot County Parks and Recreation. “Talbot County Parks and Recreation is always looking for ways to get the word out in the community about important, serious issues and this event has the potential to do just that.”
During the event, attendees can participate in a community mosaic project with local artist Jen Wagner, the design of which will represent our community standing up against substance abuse.
The free skating event is part of an ongoing partnership between the department of parks & recreation and Talbot Goes Purple (TGP). Earlier this year, summer campers at parks & recreation participated in a TGP art project. Those drawings hung as banners across the community during September and are continuously displayed on a large banner at the community center.
“We are grateful for the continued support from Talbot County Department of Parks & Recreation and the efforts from Emily Gilmer and Preston Peper,” said Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. “With so many youth-centered activities at the community center, their support helps us reach more kids with our substance use prevention efforts.”
As a substance use prevention initiative, TGP focuses on educating students about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, and works toward preventing kids from beginning to use these substances in the first place. The program supports students with various evidence-based activities and messages that help them stand up against substance abuse.
As the nation grapples with this staggering opioid crisis, TGP continues to focus on prevention, for which benefits are recouped in the future. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance abuse costs our nation more than $600 billion each year. Yet, every dollar spent on in-school prevention programs saves our society $18, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
An initiative from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Tidewater Rotary, in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools, Saints Peter & Paul School and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot Goes Purple empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse.
More information about Talbot Goes Purple is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find us on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple or contact us at talbotgoespurple@gmail.com.
Talbot Goes Purple is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.