Student K. Kenny talks safety with Head Start children as McGruff the Crime Dog.

 Oconaluftee Job Corps CCC partnered for the second year in a row with the Cherokee, NC Dora Reed Head Start Center to celebrate the national Week of the Young Child. Over the course of the week, students assisted with the Children’s Parade, Trike-a-thon, and Children’s Fair. On each day, hundreds of children were celebrated throughout the community through costume parades, tricycles races, games, inflatable rides, prizes, and more. Several students volunteered to dress as childhood favorites including McGruff the Crime Dog, and The Cat in the Hat.

“I might have had my tail grabbed a few times, but it sure was fun” said student K. Kenny as McGruff. “Helping kids this way was really cool”.

Oconaluftee students also assisted with monitoring children for safety, recording race times, face painting, and helping with three giant inflatable rides.