Music, paint and root beer was enjoyed Aug. 4 at Shelly/Quinn fields for the aptly named Teen Takeover Festival.
A couple dozen teens, and a few younger kids, came to the event, with the root beer spilled over a game of root beer kickball — more points being awarded for more drink left in the cup after running bases.
“It’s great. To be able to field a kickball game, have people over there doing art, eating, it’s awesome,” said Youth Programs Coordinator at Mountain Youth Network and TREK Outdoors Ben Shay.
Hosted by Resilience1220, TREK Outdoors and the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District, the Teen Takeover events are a major ongoing event for Resilience1220, according to Annie Cooley, a therapist at Resilience. Part of the hope is teens will approach them about free therapy sessions, she said.
As to how specifically successful that is, the programs have had multiple kids start sessions because of these events in the past, according to Cooley.
“A lot of the work we do here in Clear Creek, at least it always seems to be the school district, the rec center and Resilience partnering for events, because we really wrap a full glove that way, he continued. Shay is also a board member for Resilience1220. “We have the education, the recreation, we exist in public health, and then the therapeutic element as well. It just really makes for a well-rounded event.”
Taren McKown, 15, said whenever he hears about the events he tries to go.
"The leaders are always fun here at TREK," he said, arms covered in rootbeer. "...I just came out to hang out and meet new people. I have nothing better to do.”
