Eagle Nation Day is back! On Saturday, Sept. 10, UMW Athletics is opening the gates to the Battleground Athletic Complex for this annual free kid-friendly festival! The one-day free carnival began in 2013 as a vision to connect Mary Washington student-athletes with children and youth from the surrounding area. This year’s theme is “Healthy Habits, Happy Kids!” Sadly, only one in three children are physically active every day. It is never too early to start creating healthy life habits for children, and UMW Athletics is teaming up with community partners to spread the word!
EAGLE NATION DAY 2016 FAST FACTS
#10: FREE Family Fun – Admission is free for all children and adults!
#9: Location & Time – Rain Make-UP Date is Sunday, Sept. 11 (same time and details). The Battleground Athletic Complex: 1200 Hanover St. Fredericksburg, VA 22401. The gates to Eagle Nation Day will open at 9 a.m. and festivities will wrap up at noon, before UMW Women’s Soccer plays the Coast Guard Academy at 12:30 p.m. and UMW Field Hockey hosts Franklin & Marshall at 1:00 p.m.
#8: Parking – Fill up the Battleground Parking Lot first, which is an immediate left when turning into the complex off of Hanover St. Once that lot is filled, we will have our parking team direct folks to parking along Hanover, and the overflow lot. Campus Police will also be assisting with the event to keep everyone safe and smiling!
#7: Fredericksburg Field House – The Fredericksburg Field House, four-time E.N.D. partner, are bringing their giant inflatables!
#6: UMW Riding/Hazelwild Farm – The UMW Riding team, four-time partner, will be bringing their horses from Hazelwild Farm! Horse rides around the complex are free for all children and adults!
#5: B101.5 LIVE & Mascots – B101.5, four-time partner, will be live on air all morning! Don’t miss your chance to meet UMW’s mascot Sammy D. Eagle, B101.5’s Buzzy the Bee, and some of their best mascot friends!
#4: Bubble Ball Sports of America – Second-time partner, BBSA will have parents and children rolling and laughing in giant bouncy hamster-balls. Just wait and see!
#3: Paragon Gymnastics – First-time partner Paragon Gymnastics will be bringing out tons of tumbling equipment and providing a safe space for all to practice their favorite Olympic routine!
#2: Chick-fil-A – Chick-fil-A, second-time partner, will be supplying 1,000 chicken sandwiches for young and old! It will be first come, first serve and we ask all guests to only take one sandwich so everyone can enjoy a bite to eat!
#1.5: Sylvan Learning Center – Two-time partner, the folks from Sylvan will be joining up with UMW Professor Andrea Smith to host “Learning with LEGOs” and “K’NEX Engineering”, an interactive play space for those who rave for robotics!
#1: This year’s THEME!!! – “Healthy Habits, Happy Kids!” Did you know children are now spending more than seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen? We want to encourage every child to get outside and play for at least an hour a day! Second-time partners, Fredericksburg Parent & Family and The Doctor Yum Project will be showcasing some simple ways to improve pediatric wellness through a healthy diet!
For more information regarding Eagle Nation Day 2016 contact Philip Pierce at ppierce@umw.edu or (540)654-1153.
