Local businesses and churches say farewell to summer with stellar parties

Photo: Courtesy, Holly Felts Photography

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Sand Springs students have been back in school for a week now, but two local youth groups just held big "Back-to-School" parties Wednesday night. 

Forward Youth, the youth ministry of Word of Life Church, held their third annual Whiteout powdered-paint war with inflatables and slip'n'slide kick ball. The Movement, Church That Matters's youth group, held their third annual Meltdown snowball fight with shaved ice provided by Harper's Hut Shaved Ice & Java and the Sweet Pink Shack.

Forward Youth celebrated their first service at their new location. The youth have had their own building at 10th and Adams since the church vacated that building and moved to their current location at 1402 N. 81st W. Ave. The church recently announced the transition to bring their youth into the main church building earlier this summer. 

The party featured free shaved ice from Sandlot Sno-Balls and free donuts from Livi Lee's. The church provided a massive inflatable obstacle course and bounce-house and played games of slip'n'slide kick ball on the church's baseball field. For the third year the church hosted a powdered-paint war with more than a hundred attendees. The war splits the youth group into two sides with each student receiving bags of dry powder paint to hurdle at the other team. 

The Movement has also been doing their Meltdown Summer Snowball Fight for three years now, using buckets and coolers full of ice shaved by Harper's Hut and the Sweet Pint Shack. The packed event held its worship service outside in the church parking lot at 3 West 41st Street.