UNC Mirror

Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jade DeGood The blow up games were just a small part of Nu Alpha Kappa's Children's Day event held at Garden Theatre on Sunday. The day included many carnival games, food and prizes.

The Latino-based fraternity, Nu Alpha Kappa, celebrated El Dia de los Niños (Children's Day) Sunday, by hosting its first "NAKland Children's Carnival" at the University of Northern Colorado's Garden Theatre. From noon to 5 p.m., the carnival provided games, prizes, entertainment and food to the public, free of charge.

As families arrived at the outdoor theater, they were greeted with inflatable games, music and live performances, a sight that attested to the extensive work Nu Alpha Kappa had put into the event.

"We've been planning this for over a year now," said Ivan Diaz, a senior communication major and Nu Alpha Kappa's director of community service. "We've been fundraising, seeking sponsorship from companies and networking with both community and university organizations."

Although this is the first year UNC's Nu Alpha Kappa chapter has organized the carnival, the idea of "NAKland" originated in 1999 at San Diego State University, when fraternity members decided to host an event that would combine culture and community service. Since then, various chapters have adopted the carnival as an annual event.

"We decided we'd give it a shot," said Nelson Rodriguez, a sophomore sociology and criminal justice major, and vice president of Nu Alpha Kappa. "We wanted to give something back to the community and let the kids know we appreciate them."

Along with Nu Alpha Kappa, resident and university volunteers helped host the event. Members of Hispanic Women of Weld County and employees of the Cèsar Chàvez Cultural Center donated their time by overlooking the obstacle courses and game booths.

Families who attended the carnival said they were grateful to the fraternity for hosting the event.

"It's nice that young college kids are taking an active role and doing something like this for Greeley," said Dana Jimenez, a 26-year-old Greeley mother of two.

"My children are definitely enjoying the carnival. Getting prizes and playing games, they're really having a good time."

Beyond giving away prizes and hosting a celebration, the goal of "NAKland" was to motivate youth to continue their education.

"Above all, we wanted to promote literacy and higher learning," Rodriguez said. "By bringing them on campus, we're giving them a little taste of it, which is why we decided to hold it at the Garden Theatre."

With a large turnout this year, volunteers said they hope this won't be the last "NAKland" children's carnival at UNC.

"A lot of people were excited about this," Diaz said. "We hope to continue this for following years."

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