For the past several years, the Village of Richton Park, in cooperation with the South Suburban Special Recreation Association (SSSRA), has opened up the Friday afternoon of the five-day Richton Park Village Fest to children with a disability. The vent, which is entitled Kid's Carnival Day, is held from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the festival grounds. The activity is held independently from the regular operating hours of the festival, which are 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Children approximately six to thirteen years of age from throughout the ten communities serviced by SSSRA are invited to the festival grounds for free amusement rides, games, lunch, entertainment, clowns and face painting. More than 700 participants attend Kid's Carnival Day. In order to provide adequate supervision, teachers are required to attend with their students so that any special needs are identified and accommodated. Village Fest is held the third week in May, which allows the schools and organizations to incorporate the event as a field trip.

Several groups combine their efforts to ensure the success of each year's event.

• The Richton Park Parks & Recreation Department coordinates the event with support groups. The department provides entertainment, lunch (which includes hot dogs, chips and soda), and clowns for face painting, while recruiting several volunteers from the festival committee to provide assistance as needed.

• SSSRA administers invitations to various schools and organizations through their Outreach Coordinator two months prior to the event. These are followed up with phone calls, and registration forms are submitted to those agencies interested in attending Kid's Carnival Day. The forms explain the general logistics of the event and also contain a parental permission slip. The permission slip provides the committee with a waiver form as well as an estimate on anticipated attendance. In addition, the permission slip also contains various information on participants so that they may be added to the SSSRA mailing list. Participants are then allowed to receive the SSSRA tri-annual brochure and information on other special events, which opens doors to additional leisure service offerings. SSSRA also provides general supervision at the event.

• Miller Amusement Company opens up several of their rides and games free of charge. Miller Amusement Company also trains their operators in the proper handling of persons with a disability so that any special needs may be accommodated.

• The Richton Park Police Department provides traffic control so that buses may be routed to a safe point that is both accessible and adjacent to the festival grounds. As many as thirty buses arrive to drop-off/pick-up at relatively the same time. The routing and control allows for a smooth transfer that would otherwise be prohibitive as the festival grounds are located at a very busy intersection

• Several businesses from throughout the community donate goods and services which are utilized for lunch and as giveaways.

This event is a very worthwhile endeavor as indicated by the smiles on the children's faces and the satisfaction achieved by the sponsoring groups. Kid's Carnival Day is an excellent example of community cooperation geared for a special occasion. The event has run very smoothly for the past several years and will continue to do so in years to come.

Your community, too, may incorporate this "special event" within your special event with a little planning and assistance! Persons needing additional information may contact Patrick Ryan at (708)481-8950.

Patrick Ryan is Director of Parks & Recreation for the Village of Richton Park.

28 * Illinois Parks & Recreation * January/February 1994