Looking to celebrate multiculturalism and cultural acceptance, the Airdrie Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program is hosting Tie-A-Turban day on Aug. 24.
Partnering with the Airdrie Farmer's Market, JYSEP will have a booth at the weekly market at Jensen Park, which runs from 3:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. every Wednesday.
“We will have some volunteers that will tie a turban for you and then you can wear it around while you do your shopping,” explained Brooklyn Chadwick, a group leader with Airdrie’s Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program (JYSEP).
All farmer's market guests are invited to visit the Tie-A-Turban day booth to participate and gather more information regarding JYSEP and cultural acceptance.
According to Chadwick, the inspiration for Tie-A-Turban was sparked by a question.
“A lot of our youth are intrigued by the question ‘How do we build a shared connection that will break down barriers, eliminate prejudice, and create conservations?,” she said. “We decided to do Tie-A-Turban day to show how we should live together and celebrate our diversities.”
According to Chadwick, City of Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown was invited to the event and is slated to make an appearance at 4:30 p.m.
“The purpose of this event is to build shared experiences and celebrate cultural diversity in Airdrie,” Chadwick said.
Currently, this is the only Tie-A-Turban day planned, but Chadwick is hoping that the initiative will catch on, and continue for years to come.
Tie-A-Turban is hosted by the Airdrie Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program, which is a global organization that works towards encouraging community members to create a better, more inclusive, world, according to their website.
“The goal of a junior youth group is to support youth that seeks mentorship, spiritual development, morally-guided life skills, a global citizenship mindset, and involvement in service projects,” reads the Airdrie JYSEP site.
The volunteer-led group takes part in activities such as gardening, that connect to spirituality and leadership.
“We will pick a virtue for the day and work on how we can use that virtue in life and within gardening,” Chadwick explained.
Chadwick added the projects demonstrate the diversity in Airdrie and work to create a better community.
