Community Services Department offers virtual activities

Faced with the cancellation of city recreational events and the closure of parks because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Menifee’s Community Services Department switched gears in a hurry to continue to serve local residents.

Virtual recreational opportunities aren’t the same as in-person activities, but residents are beginning to embrace the department’s offerings on its new Virtual Community Services Department web page.

The Virtual CSD site includes a wide variety of online activities categorized for youth, seniors, families. And the department’s May calendar includes a new featured activity every day.

“I’m incredibly proud of our staff,” said Jason Hendrix, community services supervisor for the City of Menifee. “They’ve been able to pivot and adjust to the current situation.”

All this can be found on the department’s page on the City of Menifee website. You can access that page here.

Next up on the May calendar today is “May the 4th Be With You”, a tribute to the Star Wars films. Virtual CSD will celebrate with a Facebook Live event on the City of Menifee-City Hall Facebook page from 3:30-4 p.m. today. The celebration will include some Star Wars Trivia and a DJ set with Star Wars themed music by DJ Eric Tomasek.

Other upcoming events on the May calendar include a May 8 video on how to make a great craft for Mother’s Day, which is coming up on Sunday. May 12 is Nurses Appreciation Day. May 20 will offer a virtual “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” game. Details on each activity will be announced that day on the City’s Facebook page.

“Most of these activities are things you can do at your leisure,” Hendrix said. “You can access them at any time that day. We will highlight events that are live.”

In preparation for Memorial Day (May 25), Virtual CSD will kick off “Celebrate Heroes Weekend” on May 23. Because the traditional Memorial Day service at Wheatfield Park will not be held due to COVID-19 restrictions, the virtual events will include a Virtual 5K run on May 24 and a virtual Memorial Day ceremony on May 25.

For the 5K run, participants will be given a race bib, t-shirt and medal (picked up or mailed to them) and may run a 5K course (3.1 miles) of their choosing or even run on a treadmill. Then they may send in their 5K time to be posted online, just for fun. A $35 entry fee will be donated to the local VFW chapter. A link to the registration site can be found here.

The virtual Memorial Day ceremony on May 25 will include elements of the traditional events that have been held annually at the Veterans Memorial in Wheatfield Park. A 25-minute video presented online that day will include pre-recorded speeches, the playing of TAPS, singing of the national anthem and other highlights.