St. Charles, Missouri, Children in Need Get Free School Supplies & Meet the St. Louis Cardinals Mascot, Fredbird

Every summer, the Family Advocacy & Community Training organization (FACT) accepts donations to provide children in need with a backpack and new school supplies for the school year. This year the group hosted a "Cardinal Care" Back to School Picnic, which was sponsored by the St. Louis Cardinals. The event took place at St. Peters City Center Pavilion, which is just west of City Hall and the local Rec Plex.

Although the rain managed to keep the kids under the pavilion instead of on the playground, they didn't seem to complain since they had Fredbird, the St. Louis Cardinals mascot to keep them company. Fredbird was fun and outgoing, sending high fives and knuckles out to the crowd. He had plenty of hugs for all to go around. He even managed to put a few heads in his beak, maintaining his crazy character for his entire visit. Fredbird tried to load up one girl with dozens of chip bags, placing them in her hands and even on her head, until she dropped them all on the ground. Everyone laughed. Many of the small children and even some of the adults followed Fredbird around the pavilion trying to get a picture with the famous mascot while they picked out their backpacks and waited for the rain to dissipate.

Employees and Volunteers of FACT did not let the rain stop them from making the event a huge success. Despite a torrential down pour, they continued to grill in the rain with umbrellas and served up hot dogs and hamburgers along with chips, soda, and bottled water to all the families in attendance.

After the rain slowed and eventually stopped, the children disbursed to the playground for some long awaited fun and Fredbird left the scene. One child put on a pair of pink rain boots and enjoyed the rest of the evening stomping in the rain puddles. The children were all very excited to get their new backpacks. They were even more excited to see the big red bird they sometimes see on television as the St. Louis Cardinals take the field to play ball.

FACT is an organization that assists families of children with special needs. They are predominantly funded by local organizations including the "Developmental Disabilities Resources Board of St. Charles County, The Community and Childrens Resource Board of St. Charles County, Lincoln County Resource Board, and Franklin County Children and Families Community Resource Board". Their primary mission is to "mentor and empower families through advocacy and training, to improve the quality of life and opportunities for children and young adults with disabilities.

The Backpack Picnic is a yearly event for the FACT team. To get involved with FACT as a volunteer or for information about getting assistance for your family, you can visit their location behind the Fazoli's off 1st Capital at 2260 Bluestone Dr, St Charles, MO 63303-5981 or contac them directly by calling (636) 949-2425. You can also visit their website at: http://www.factmo.org/ for more information.

Click Here To see pictures of Fredbird, the kids, and the FACT Backpack Picnic