I am a big fan of community outreach. I love when we are in communities- be it in Vancouver for CBC’s 75th Anniversary activities, in Calgary for the Stampede, or Halifax for the Tall Ships Festival. It’s great to have our characters and hosts interact with kids, and really getting a sense for the difference we are making in Canadian families lives, and also suggestions for what we can be working on going forward.
So it will come as no surprise that I love the Kids’ CBC Days that we host here in the atrium and park beside the CBC Canadian Broadcast Centre in downtown Toronto. It doesn’t hurt that I have a four year-old who in the last two years has treated this event as if it were a national holiday; “Mommy, when are the Kids’ CBC Days! Put it on the calendar. I should bring my whole daycare class!” And of course, having him helps me know if we have done a good job.
This year I brought my son to Day 2 of the event. The moment we walked in he saw the “Monster Math Squad” poster from way across the atrium and screamed “we do the math… it’s the Monster Math Squad.” We proceeded to check out the entire event, running from booth to booth, and activity to activity. When he saw mascots- in particular Chirp (we’re in production to bring this amazing magazine to life!) and Lunar Jim, he sprinted across the atrium to see them. When Patty, Sid, Mamma Yamma and the mascots from all the Kids’ CBC shows were putting on the stage show, he wouldn’t budge. He was glued to the performances.
The lovely and talented Anne-Marie Mediwake from CBC Toronto News was also there with her triplets on Day 2. I looked at her kids, also glued to watching the stage show and in awe of all the characters. We talked about how big these “celebrities” are to our kids. It’s amazing.
But even better for me is watching the faces of all the kids and parents who tune in to Kids’ CBC in the mornings, who log on to KidsCBC.ca because they love the characters, and see the value in our content and the incredible difference it makes. We strive to educate, celebrate and empower Canadian kids and families, and when I am in the midst of this amazing celebration, it really feels great. Such a positive energy.
I also want to thank the many parents who write us both after the event and on an ongoing basis just to thank us for what we’re doing and tell us how it makes a difference to them. The Kids’ CBC family of viewers and fans across the country is incredible. And that’s a big reason why we work so hard to make these events happen. Hope to see you at one soon! I’ll be the parent with one very enthusiastic four year-old!
– Kim Wilson, Creative Head, Children’s & Youth Programming, English Television, Commissioned & Scripted Programming
