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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Tapping Sources Of Youthful Energy

Rebecca Nappi For The Editorial

The MarketPlace in downtown Spokane needs some sprucing up. Walls need fresh paint. Wood needs sanding. Floors need washing. The hundred or more young people expected to gather at the Ag Trade Center on Friday for an innovative event asked for some hands-on work as part of the day.

So the needs of the MarketPlace and the young people will mesh Friday afternoon. Teens and adults will walk from the Ag Trade Center to the MarketPlace, at First and Jefferson, led by a horse-drawn carriage. Then, they will work on the MarketPlace’s makeover. If you have time Friday between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., stop by the MarketPlace. You might see history in the making.

The Friday event is called Bridging the GAP: Generations for America’s Promise. Adults and young people will gather in a daylong quest to explore how to bridge the gap between youth, adults and community resources.

The event grew out of the Presidents’ Summit on America’s Future held last spring in Philadelphia. Ten delegates from Spokane County attended the summit and began planning the Friday event as a way of furthering the goals of the summit. America’s Promise, the organization that emerged from the summit, has lofty goals. Members hope to connect 2 million young people with the five resources that will help guarantee them a healthy life and also reduce problems facing America’s youth.

These resources include:

Ongoing relationships with caring adults.

Safe places and structured activities.

A healthy start for a healthy future.

Marketable skills through education.

An opportunity to give back through community service.

In Spokane County, organizers hope to positively impact 3,000 kids by the year 2000. Friday’s free event is only the beginning and there is still room for young people and adults to participate. Call the Chase Youth Commission at 625-6440.

Research shows that young people who volunteer gain selfesteem and a sense of personal competence. But they need to be asked. Most students in Spokane County are out of school Friday because of curriculum day. We are asking that they, and concerned adults, use this special day to shape our community’s future. , DataTimes The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, EDITORIAL - Our View, Building Community CREDIT = Rebecca Nappi For the editorial board