• Editor’s Note: Nov. 28 is #GivingTuesday — a great opportunity for you to consider donating to a local charity or worthy cause of your choice. Click this link for more Kane County places to donate.

Go ahead and reminisce for a moment. Enjoy a daydream, and think back to those fun-filled, care-free days as a kid.

Life was a smorgasbord of activities – swimming, hiking and games at the park. Catching butterflies and toads. Running races, climbing trees and playing all kinds of sports. You rode your bike. Every day. Everywhere. New adventures always beckoned.

The Fox Valley Park Foundation believes every child should be immersed in that environment. As part of its ongoing commitment, the Foundation has joined the Giving Tuesday movement, a global day of giving to support and champion important causes within the community.

The Park Foundation is asking you to join us in support of Giving Tuesday, and is focusing specifically on helping the recreationally underserved by providing opportunities for kids to experience what makes being a kid so special.

On Tuesday, Nov. 28, the Park Foundation is asking the community to get involved. A small donation on your behalf will make a huge difference in the lives of local children who may not have as many opportunities as their peers.

Just think… your $10 can help a child go to camp, can teach a child to swim, can put a child onstage to perform, can introduce a child to the wonders of nature. The possibilities are many.

And your donation doesn’t stop there. For each dollar you donate, The Dunham Fund will match. So in reality, a $20 donation is a $40 donation.

“Every act of generosity counts, and each act means even more when we give together,” said Park Foundation Board President Rachel Ossyra. “Giving Tuesday is a national movement, and the Park Foundation is bringing it home to the local level to demonstrate our commitment to social equity in recreation.”

Entering its sixth year, Giving Tuesday is appropriately timed, coming in the wake of Thanksgiving and two widely recognized shopping events – Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While this is the traditional height of shopping season, it also kicks off the most productive months of charitable season, as many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

The Park Foundation has been providing for local kids for more than two decades with its annual Golf for Kids Benefit Outing at Orchard Valley. Last summer, in its 23^rd year, the outing raised over $60,000 that will be allocated via monetary grants to as many as 10 park district programs.

I was a kid once and, boy, those were the days. But now, as a middle-aged adult, it’s inspiring when people of all ethnicities, religions and backgrounds collaborate to improve our local communities.

One of the best ways to do that is by making the simple joys of childhood attainable for those who may have less, and enabling them to experience childhood to the utmost. Because being a kid is awesome – as it should be.

To donate and make a difference in children’s lives – and have your contribution doubled – visit www.FoxValleyParkFoundation.org.

Thank you for your support, and remember – the next time you see a young, happy-go-lucky child, that joyous smile could be attributable to your generosity.

• This column is written by Jeff Long (jlong@fvpd.net), the public affairs and communications manager at the Fox Valley Park District. Visit www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org for more information and be sure to “Like” Blackberry Farm on Facebook.

FEATURE PHOTO CAPTION: Your donation on Giving Tuesday will allow kids to enjoy recreational opportunities they might not otherwise have, such as swim lessons, that teach a lifetime skill.