The event aims to promote diversity

June 4 – Women for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity – better known as WIDE – will host its first Global WIDE Family Festival in Delhi Courthouse Square from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 5.

The outdoor event will feature crafts for kids, family yoga and creative movement workshops, live music, raffles, prizes and the now famous “WIDE bake sale locally,” according to Lauren O’Leary, one of the group’s founders.

The group recruited volunteers representing a variety of different cultures and traditions across the region, including members of the Indian Iroquois Museum at Howes Cave and a sushi chef from Delhi’s Tuna III.

“The idea is to teach children through the arts, literature and education about the world in general,” O’Leary said.

WIDE is a Delaware County-based nonprofit made up of approximately 100 local women who are dedicated to promoting and celebrating the region’s diversity, according to O’Leary. The group was formed following the surge of Black Lives Matter protests and activity last summer.

“Twenty-two women showed up at my pond and we just talked,” O’Leary said. “Some of us have seen ugliness in our community, and we have found it nice to talk to people who care about others.”

WIDE, in the process of gaining nonprofit legal status, raised funds through a series of bake sales to purchase culturally diverse books promoting the themes of equity and inclusion to donate. to the Delaware Academy library and a handful of grant-based elementary classes, Leary says.

“We want to provide a window to a world outside of Delaware County,” she said.

The event will include a scavenger hunt designed to send children on a learning tour of the different stations, encouraging them to participate in the activities and ask questions of the volunteers, O’Leary said.

“Everything is in line with our values: inclusiveness, diversity and fairness,” said O’Leary.

Visit wideny.org for more information.