Gowanda Community Youth coordinated a children’s carnival in Chang-Hu Park during Heritage Day, Sept. 24. Fourteen of the volunteers entertained children with games that they devised. It was a full day of fun and smiles for everyone. The group finished the day with a pizza in celebration of another successful service project. GCY charged children $1 to participate and donated all of the money to the SPCA for a special project that supports the stranded animals from Hurricane Katrina. Twenty-nine dollars will be donated to the Angola site during the next SPCA volunteer day.

     GCY has 39 members and has put in a total of 416 hours since February. Sixteen of the members have earned T-shirts for working 10 hours within the community and five of those members have volunteered 25 hours and have received long-sleeved shirts.

     A service project was held on Saturday, Oct. 1. The group once again worked with Herb Darling at the American Chestnut Plantation on Vail Road. Volunteers gathered chestnut seeds for research and breeding efforts to restore the American Chestnut to its native eastern woodlands.

     A general meeting was held in St. John Park on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The group discussed past events and upcoming events. Ideas are needed for November - keep in mind that Thanksgiving is coming.

     GCY participated in Gowanda United in Helping Others on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7 and 8 from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. The event will support the victims of Hurricane Katrina through the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Students in grades 9-12 were asked to donate $10 to participate in an overnight that took place in the high school. Community members and school staff came together to support and remember those who have been affected by this tragedy.