Easter Sunday, younglings all over the city hunted for eggs beneath the sunny rays procuring an appetite for one thing, frozen yogurt. This year, Youth Week was fortunate enough to partner up with Tutti Frutti and held its kick-off event at Tutti Frutti’s 17th Avenue location. Just like the $4 flat rate frozen yogurt cups Tutti Frutti offered for youth, the day was filled with delicious conversation and sweet tunes.
Not only were youth treated to vast amounts of frozen yogurt, Virgin Radio and Funny 1060AM delivered some awesome music and entertainment. The food, the entertainment and the people, including Youth Central’s wonderful ambassadors from the Mayor’s Youth Council, helped procure some great conversation relating to Youth Week.
What makes frozen yogurt such a great resource for youth to bond over? Firstly, most youth have a common denominator when it comes to any event that relates to food; youth love food, especially in the frozen, swirled variation. But as we got to speak to fellow customers (read in-depth interviews of the event’s participants with YAA blogger Wentao Li here), most were not aware of Youth Week. Despite that fact, we discovered another commonality: the idea that a stronger relationship needed to be affirmed between youth and their community.
Aside from the discounts, the food and the entertainment aspect that Youth Week  provides, Youth Week has always been about engaging youth within Calgary to participate in their community and build relationships with local businesses, organizations and their fellow peers and neighbours. As Youth Week continues to grow with over 100 events taking place this year, the message of Youth Week must never be obscured. On Sunday, youth devoured their distinct cups of frozen yogurt. But beneath that delectable taste, there lies a desire for youth to be recognized in the community as a group dedicated to the betterment of society.
One cup of frozen yogurt may not change the face of how the community views youth or how youth interact within their community. But multiple cups of frozen yogurt combined with youth volunteering projects, a volunteering fair, a conversation about future in the arts at the EPCOR Centre, and a plethora of other events week-long, is how youth will fulfill the mission of Youth Week. So let’s all go for fro yo.
Special thanks to Funny 1060AM and Virgin Radio for providing fantastic energy at the event. Sincere thanks to Tutti Frutti for providing youth with flat rate cups as well as a 20% youth discount all week long. Check out youthcentral.com/youthweek for more details and other events.
