Baby Olympics aims to help Golden Isles parents bond with newborns

Brunswick News - 5/2/2017

May 02--Chandra Mahony's home on Mansfield Street in Brunswick is proof of her dedication.

Her living room is brimming with baby books, toys, cribs, strollers and games of every type. But as the director of the infant-advocacy organization Village of Coastal Georgia, the toys are not for her grandchildren.

Rather, the menagerie of merriment will all be part of the nonprofit's first-ever Baby Olympics from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Glynn Place Mall, 219 Mall Blvd., Brunswick.

The event, organized by Mahony and Village of Coastal Georgia, will feature games, giveaways, educational booths and other activities for new parents and their babies. There is a $25 registration fee, which can be paid in person before the event from 9-9:45 a.m., or online at www.villageofcoastalgeorgia.org. Every entrant will receive a T-shirt, prize bag and gift.

"There are a lot of nonprofits in the area that provide a lot of resources for people," Mahony said. "But there aren't very many that concentrate just on babies, so we try to fill that gap."

Village of Coastal Georgia gained nonprofit status in 2015, and is geared toward helping newly minted parents learn about healthy activities for their babies, as well as provide resources for those in need. Saturday's Baby Olympics will be one of the group's first major fundraisers, and is aimed at raising money to acquire a permanent home for the nonprofit.

"We've got cribs, changing tables, infant clothes, maternity clothes -- all kinds of things, and we need a place to store it all, and do classes," Mahony said. "We're looking for a building downtown (in Brunswick) -- something that would be walking distance from public housing."

Mahony, a retired special-education teacher, hopes to teach new parents about the importance of exercising and and socializing newborn babies.

"You see a lot of new mothers using feeding and screen time to entertain their babies," she said. "We want to show there are other ways. If you use feeding as a way to keep babies entertained, you end up with a lot of obese babies, and it's hard to get that weight off them. And with screen time, they don't get the socialization they need. It's important to let them play."

The Baby Olympics will feature activities and age-appropriate games for babies ranging in age from newborn to 24 months. Pastors from Glynn, McIntosh, Camden and Brantley counties will also judge a costume contest with the theme, "What I Want to Be When I Grow Up." Prizes will be awarded.

Although plenty of games and fun will be on tap, including laser tag, the Baby Olympics will be about more than a good time. Insurance and health education groups will be on hand to help parents navigate the complicated process of enrolling in programs like Medicaid.

"There are a lot of resources available about there," Mahony said. "People can come and learn about the types of services provided, as well as which insurance companies work with certain doctors."

Home Depot has also agreed to provide projects at no charge for youngsters, and the craft store Michaels will also have art supplies for kids to get creative, Mahony said. Up to 200 attendees will also receive a free storybook courtesy of the St. Simons Island-based educational nonprofit UDA Star Foundation.

"We have received a lot of support from organizations around the community," Mahony said.

For more information about Village of Coastal Georgia, visit the group's website at www.villageofcoastalgeorgia.org or search Facebook.

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