SPARC Red Deer is spreading positivity — make that 'pawsitivity' — at Oxbows Dog Park with its newest Kindness Rock Garden.
It's part of SPARC's Paint the Town Positive initiative, which also includes a Kindness Rock Garden at Capstone since 2021. The gardens promote and support children and youth to perform kind acts and giving back.
People are encouraged to take one of the colourful rock sporting a positive message or symbol, and leave rocks that they have painted to help spread good vibes.
The Oxbows rock garden was launched this week, in partnership with the City of Red Deer, and SPARC co-chair Rania Page said there have already been some mood-boosting contributions painted by players with the 13U AA1 Red Deer Northstar Braves.
SPARC (Strengthening Positive Assets and Resiliency in Communities) promotes 40 developmental assets that help children and youth thrive. Some developmental assets are external experiences, like relationships and opportunities, and others are internal qualities like self-esteem and integrity. The assets are listed at sparcreddeer.ca.
"The 40 developmental assets are building blocks and experiences that all children and youth need to grow up healthy, caring and responsible. Research shows the more developmental assets a young person has, the more likely they are to make good decisions. The fewer they have, the more likely they are to engage in risky behaviour," Page said.
She said parents, relatives, neighbours, coaches and other community members can all help by showing kids they are valued and interacting with them.
"It's really through those simple connections that we can make a difference in the lives of kids."
SPARC recently celebrated seven years of building positive assets and resiliency in Red Deer.
"We intended for SPARC to be around a long, long time so we're really happy with the momentum," Page said.
SPARC will have an information booth at the Community Better Red Deer Walk-Run on June 8 at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at Red Deer Polytechnic. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
SPARC is also sponsoring a Kindness Rock Garden Draw with a family prize to encourage more people to contribute kindness rocks to the rock gardens. For more information visit SPARC Red Deer on Facebook.
