PBH Hosts Field Day For 250 Local Children

About 250 children of all ages gathered yesterday at the athletic fields behind the Business School for Kids' Day, an end-of-the year event intended to bring together Harvard public service volunteers and the area children they have been working with, organizers of the event said.

The children played games, listened to an impromptu concert by the Krokodiloes, and danced to the Harvard songs and show tunes of the Harvard band, said Elisa Fernandez '88, who, with Melissa Bayer '88 and Margaret Watt '88, co-organized the event. Afterward, the children were shuttled to the Science Center to see a special showing of "Superman."

Phillips Brooks House volunteers unearthed the Kids' Day tradition, which PBH began in the 1950s, while poring over the archives and decided to revive the event, which united area children and volunteers from PBH, the Public Service Program, and the Catholic Students' Center.

Fernandez called the event a success and said she hoped it could become an annual year-end occurrence.

"Next year it would be nice to have all kids from Boston and Cambridge, not just those involved in public service programs," she said.

"It was really fun," said Elizabeth A. Page'88, manager of the Harvard Band, who said thatafter they played the kids swarmed them wanting toplay the instruments.

"I enjoyed my day," said Monica Thomas, 12, whosaid her favorite part was the band, which obligedrequests for repeat performances of the theme from"Pee Wee's Big Adventure."

Shantelle Sanders, 9, said she liked playingthe athletic games the most and hoped they repeatthe event next year