On July 18, 2009, Children’s Friend hosted its first Concert & Festival at Jenks Park in Central Falls. The event was an overwhelming success!!! The event featured bands What about Will, Minky Starshine, and Global Crash with Poi dancer Sally the Altar Boy. The event was also jam-packed with performers including the Columbian American Cultural Society, salsa dance group Mambo Passion, magician Mat Franco, and hip-hop dance groups Case Closed and Draztik. Kelvin Fabian, who performed with Draztik, performed a special tribute to Michael Jackson. Deejay Victor Ramos helped keep the crowd engaged during the breaks from an entertainment-filled day.

Activities for children included face painting and airbrush tattoos. Free cotton candy and popcorn was sponsored in part by Judge Alberto Aponte Cardona. Pepsi Bottling Group in Cranston provided water on that warm day.

Thanks to the generous support of contributors, staff, and volunteers, Children’s Friend was able to bring this exciting event to the Central Falls community in celebration of the agency’s 175th anniversary celebration. The goal of the concert was to bring together families in Central Falls and surrounding communities. Children’s Friend has a Family Support Center located on Dexter Street in Central Falls, which offers vital services to the community’s most vulnerable children. 

The Concert & Festival was sponsored in part by Navigant Credit Union. Our Anniversary Year Partners AMICA, Citizens Bank, GLAD WORKS, Panera Bread, and r.j. LaChance Advertising  provide support for all events throughout the 175th anniversary year.