Forge Young Professionals plans to host an evening of fun on Tuesday, October 29, during the eighth annual Trick-or-Treat on the Trail at Pine Ridge Prep, 5:30 – 7 p.m., as well as the second annual event in Montara at Velma Paris Community Center, 5 – 6 p.m. This event is one of the many volunteer opportunities planned by Forge.

Volunteers will distribute candy, books and take-home hygiene kits to children enrolled in the Pine Ridge program, as well as children enrolled in the Montara Boys & Girls Club. The events are held on Born Learning Trails, which are the result of collaborative partnerships between Topeka Public Schools USD 501, Topeka Housing Authority and the United Way of Greater Topeka. Pine Ridge Prep ensures that students in the Topeka Housing Authority neighborhood of Pine Ridge have access to quality preschool programming.

Born Learning Trails are an engaging path of age-appropriate activities aimed at helping parents and caregivers create learning opportunities for young children. Through a series of stations, children are encouraged to get active and have fun with games designed to boost critical language, literacy and motor skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten. The trail helps develop pre-literacy skills critical to school readiness through outdoor learning games and helps parents learn to use every day experiences as learning opportunities. Forge volunteers will hand out treats at several stations along the trail.

This event provides an avenue to build connections. Regarding the importance of Forge involvement, Carolyn Zeller, chair of the Inspire (Volunteer) Herd of Forge said, “This event is one of many volunteer opportunities Forge members can participate in to give back to the community. It is a great way for members to build relationships, learn about themselves, and gain insight into their community.”

“We’re honored to work with our community partners to aid in programs such as Born Learning Trails,” said Lindsay Lebahn, executive director of Forge. “Events such as this offer a great opportunity for Forge members to pay it forward while also making an impact on the next generation of Topekans.”

# # #

For more information on this subject, contact Lindsay Lebahn, executive director of Forge, at 785.234.2644 or Lindsay.Lebahn@TopekaPartnership.com.

Forge is Topeka’s organization for young professionals. It is free to join and works to attract and retain young talent to greater Topeka.