Howard is the ‘hostess with the mostest’ on Children’s Day

Brenda Howard’s vision was played out in the heat and dust Saturday at Creekwood Park as a group of children ran around playing kickball.

For the past 18 years, Howard has gathered neighborhood children and adults together to enjoy a day filled with fun, games and food.

“All right everybody, gather ‘round!” she called out, separating groups of children by age for kickball. “Blue is kicking first,” she again called out after ensuring the two sides had put on appropriate wristbands before running out into the blazing sun.

The parents and other adults, seated under a cool pavilion, did not get off so easily either.

“Listen y’all. What we have got to be doing is cheering them on. Let’s make some noise!” Howard called out.

Meanwhile, the day’s “usher” and friend Yvette Singletary was dutifully standing by, fanning Howard to keep her cool. Her role that day was to do whatever was needed, she said.

Howard, 52, said it’s been a long road to this point.

“You know they have Mother’s Day and they have Father’s Day, but there is nothing special set aside for the children,” she said. “So one night I had a vision of putting together a day for the children to play games, have fun and have kind of like a picnic.”

Howard started in her backyard, then moved to an open field when that got too cramped. She now marks the special day at Creekwood Park off General Courtney Hodges Boulevard. A little more than 50 children of all ages and around 30 adults took part in the day’s activities.

“We want to let the children know we support them, we love them and we care for them,” Howard said. “The main thing is to save a child; sad to say one day is not enough sometimes.”

She begins shopping for the day around September, and does a little bit each month. Each family contributes for the food to feed the children and adults.

Stopping by Saturday was Wesley “Del” Martin, the new principal at Perry High School.

“I think it’s great what Mrs. Howard is doing, and I love seeing the children have so much fun,” Martin said. He was there for a while before running off to attend another event.

After running and sweating for about two hours (with a break to cool down with some cold water), the children lined up to wash up and then lined up again for their lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and iced fruit pops. Later on they were going to compete in three-legged races and other activities.

Of course Howard couldn’t do this all by herself. Helping her for the past 18 years are her “kitchen committee” members Brandy Green and Tina Gordon. Also lending a hand is Nadia Kendricks, whose mother was with Howard from the start.

“We’ve never had a child hurt or anything negative happen all these years,” Howard said.

What will change is the date, she said.

“June is just too hot nowadays,” she said, “so we’re going to have it in September next year.”

When not organizing an all-day affair for children, Howard works as a bus assistant for special needs children for Houston County schools.

HHJ News