Foot Soldiers Park hosts first Candy Walk with a CandyLand theme

One of the sweetest events this harvest season was hosted by Foot Soldiers Park on Saturday. It was their first Candy Walk, complete with a CandyLand theme.  

This citywide community event opened to the young and the young-at-heart. Some came in bright colors, others in costume, but all of them seemed to be wearing their happy faces.  

“This makes me very happy to see all of this joy,” FSP founder JoAnne Bland said.  

Children enjoyed activities from a giant slide to an authentic hayride through the neighborhood. “There was one kid that got back on at every hayride switchover,” said Deuteronomy McKinley of AMD Innovations, the company that provided the rides. “She kept finding her way back on with every new group, and it didn’t bother me one bit. That’s why I was there – to help put smiles on faces.” 

And what’s a Candy Walk without candy? The community showed up with tables, stations, vans and tents. Elected officials, small business owners and the Selma High School volleyball team provided buckets, bags and jars of candy. And, the smiles got bigger and brighter.  

District Attorney Robert Turner Jr.’s tent banner simply read, “Let’s Be Sweeter to Each Other.” Entrepreneurs Danyell Parker of Chanel Tax Service and Angela Hunter of Jeshema set up next to each other and helped sweeten the pot with fancy bags full of goodies. 

“This is just perfect for the community,” said small business owner Kimberly Williams of Kustom Kreations, who had her tent decorated like her shop. Leslie Pettway Davis of Pettway’s Party Stop transformed her station into a circus complete with a caged tiger, face art and balloon characters.  

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Selma Mall merchant Latonya Mitchell of Vinyl Express, brought a 360-degree rotating fun video maker. Johnson’s Paint & Body brought a table of sweet delights, while a giant slide and bouncy house left the kids running to the Lemonade Lady before they ran back into the fun.   

Capturing the prize for “Best Theme Dressed Child” was Jaliah Harris with “the coolest sunglasses on the planet,” according to her slightly older playmate. “She was definitely dressed pretty and closest to this year’s theme,” Bland said.  

Winning first place for Best Theme Decorated Table was the Selma City Council. Second Place went to Pettway’s Party Stop.  

Community made this event happen. This is the Selma way, the FSP way. Other sponsoring businesses were Dallas County Drug Court Services, Worship Unplugged, Snow’s Cleaning Service, Exceptional Catering and Nicole’s Boutique.   

This Candy Walk also marks the season closing for PlayPals, an FSP program where their National Youth Advisory Board conducts regularly scheduled play dates with children at George Washington Carver Homes. Napoleon Cleveland, one of Selma’s most decorated semi-professional boxers of his day, conducted his final clinic with children pumped with candy.  

“It was an exciting day,” Cleveland said. “This is what is needed, and I was glad to serve these past few months.” 

“How sweet it is to be loved like this,” said Jasmine Pritchett, PlayPals volleyball clinic and head volleyball coach for SHS.