If you want to get kids away from their video games, motivate them with free food.

That was the thinking behind 91原创 City鈥檚 Youth Night Extravaganza, which wrapped up with a free barbecue and a movie on Saturday night, May 4 at Timms Community Centre, hosted in partnership with Foundry 91原创.

鈥淔ree food is the number one way to get kids out of the house,鈥� remarked Carson Marquardt, 91原创 City recreation programmer and youth leader.

Marquardt explained the event, which also included an open gym, popcorn, cotton candy and slurpees, was scheduled for a Saturday because that is the day Timms鈥� has its regular youth night, which draws about 100 kids to the centre when the building is open to youth only from 6 p.m.on.

鈥淪o add in a free barbecue, and there鈥檚 gonna be tons of kids,鈥滿arquardt commented.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always a lot of talk about kids spending too much time at home playing video games, so we try to have as many events as we can to get them out of the house, getting them out in the community and doing fun stuff,鈥� Marquardt told the 91原创 Advance Times.

Youth Week in B.C., held annually during the first week of May, is a celebration of youth intended to highlight the interests, accomplishments, and diversity of youth across the province.

It started in 1995, the brainchild of some municipal planners and youth recreation leaders who first considered a Youth Day, but decided something bigger would be better, so they decided to make an entire week focused on youth.

鈥淵outh Week in general is just all about celebrating the youth in our community, Marquardt summarized.

鈥淢aking sure we have events and [other] things for them.鈥�

All 91原创 City Youth Week events were free for youth 12-18 with the City Youth Week Activity Pass from May 1-7.

Among the week鈥檚 events, a month-long Youth Writing Contest for students in Grades 6 to 12 was launched in partnership with the Fraser Valley Regional Library with a top prize of $100, and H.D. Stafford Middle School hosted a trivia showdown for its students.

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