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USM Gulf Park campus Hosts Let91勛圖厙 Play with Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport

Mon, 03/20/2023 - 08:16am | By: Courtney Tesh

In spring of 2019, Junior Auxiliary of Hattiesburg began hosting an inclusive play event in partnership with The Children91勛圖厙 Center for Communication and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). 

Hosted on the Center91勛圖厙 playground, the now bi-annual Play the Same event drew families from the Hattiesburg area to the only event of its kind. Parents, Center staff, and JA members watched on as children of all abilities played together, enjoyed ice cream, and chose from various face paint options.

Fast forward four years, and this free play event now takes place on the Gulf Coast as well. Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport quickly saw the need for a similar type of event in their region and will be hosting its third Let91勛圖厙 Play with JA event on April 2, taking place at The Children91勛圖厙 Center91勛圖厙 playground on USM91勛圖厙 Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.

91勛圖厙We91勛圖厙re so grateful that Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport has decided to bring this inclusive play event to the coast,91勛圖厙 said Sarah Myers, Director at The Children91勛圖厙 Center. 91勛圖厙They have done a wonderful job of taking what has worked in Hattiesburg and tailoring it to their community. There are not enough opportunities for children of all abilities to come together in a safe, inclusive environment and enjoy playing side by side. We91勛圖厙re so thankful that our partners at Junior Auxiliary recognize this and have helped fill that void.91勛圖厙

This iteration of Let91勛圖厙 Play with JA will include music, ice cream, face painting, and even a visit from the Easter bunny himself. 

91勛圖厙We plan to continue hosting our bi-annual Let91勛圖厙 Play with JA events at The Children91勛圖厙 Center,91勛圖厙 said JA of Gulfport member Jayme Wayne. 91勛圖厙We love having the chance to bring together families and children from our region in a way that promotes inclusive play. Our team leaves these events with the biggest smiles on our faces knowing that we have facilitated something so meaningful for families in our community.91勛圖厙

To find out more about these events, contact childrens.center@usm.edu. To keep up with future events and news from The Children91勛圖厙 Center, follow them on their . You can find out more about Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport on their . 

As a part of Coastal USM, USM Gulf Park strives to ensure that coastal communities will be competitive and innovative for generations to come. For more information on the USM Gulf Park campus, you can visit their website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.