On Friday, March 28, CRYP will host its fifth annual Family Day festival in Eagle Butte. To commemorate the not-for-profit organization's ongoing 25th anniversary celebration, CRYP staff and volunteers will kick off the free public festivities at the site of its original youth center on Main Street.

At 4:30 p.m., CRYP Executive Director Julie Garreau will say a few words to the gathered crowd at the "old Main," after which the group will march to the youth project's current campus on East Lincoln Street. Guests will enjoy an evening meal in the Keya Cafe at 5 p.m., and from 6 to 8 p.m., the Cokata Wiconi gymnasium will be home to some serious family fun.

 "We're going to have Pictionary, face painting and a variety of field-day events like an egg-and-spoon race, a bean-bag toss and 'free-throw in three minutes,'" said Tammy Eagle Hunter, CRYP's youth programs director. "We're also very excited to offer a new activity, which will allow families to build their own miniature greenhouses."

Before they go home, CRYP is encouraging all Family Day guests to add their handprints and their family names to a large paper mural. "Each year, we have a Family Mural Project that is part of Family Day," Eagle Hunter explained. "We hang a large roll of art paper in the lobby, and we ask families to choose their own spots and draw something to represent their families. This year, we thought hand prints and names would be a fun way to say, 'We are all part of CRYP.'"

Previous Family Days have drawn anywhere from 150 to 200 people, according to Garreau, and she said she's looking forward to this special opportunity to acknowledge the organization's quarter-century of service on the Cheyenne River reservation. To learn more about the March 28 event, click here. 

The beginning of spring on Cheyenne River also marked the start of the Cheyenne River Youth Project's 2014 "Get Out and Garden" series of classes. Part of CRYP's effort to promote healthy lifestyles and food security on Cheyenne River, the "Get Out and Garden" classes will focus on teaching introductory gardening and food/craft entrepreneurship skills to the community.

The class series began on March 13 with a gardening basics class led by Sturgis-based Bear Butte Gardens. The farmers from Bear Butte taught community members about starting seeds, planting dates, variety selection and much more. The spring edition of the series will feature four more classes with additional guest speakers from the South Dakota area.

The first class is scheduled for Thursday, March 27 at 5:30-7 p.m. Titled "Backyard Poultry Keeping," it's intended for fresh-egg enthusiasts who would like to keep their own flocks. Topics to be covered include chicken coop construction, bird varieties and chicken health. There will be baby chicks, as well. Mark Ford from National Relief Charities will lead the discussion.

To learn more about the next three classes in the spring "Get Out and Garden" series, click here.