Hello Granger | Heroes Game, A New Granger Mural + Things to Do

Good morning, Granger! There’s a lot happening around town this week—plenty to put on your calendar, and a pretty impressive example of just how much this community shows up for its kids.

And before you go, today marks 25 years since Sept. 11, 2001. There’s a special way to remember and honor the day at tonight’s WG football game—details below. 🇺🇸

Have a great week! 👍

Friday, Sept. 11
🇺🇸 Heroes Game
Hawk Stadium, Woodward | 6:30 Presentation
Before the football game, Woodward-Granger and Perry will honor local military members, veterans and first responders, in recognition of the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11. At 6:30 p.m., local heroes will be invited onto the field for a special recognition and Color Guard presentation. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

A Little Social
Centennial Park | 9- 10:15 a.m. | $7/per family | No registration needed
A Little Social is back for its first fall playdate! Kids ages 0–5 can enjoy unstructured play while caregivers connect, with a snack included. New this season: no registration is required — just pay by Venmo at the playdate. Rain location: Granger Community Center.

White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow
Jester Park Campground Area (follow signs) | 4-8 p.m. | Free
Planned by longtime Woodward residents Todd and Robin Spratt, the White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow brings people of all ages together to celebrate our differences through music, dance, food and storytelling. Food and artisan vendors open at 4 p.m., followed by drumming, flute and storytelling with Romeo Buffalo at 6 p.m.

Family Fun Night 
Jester Park Outdoor Recreation and Wellness Center | 6-8 p.m. | $5 per person; children under 4 are free. 
This open-house style event includes bouldering (ages 4+), archery (ages 10+), games, puzzles, s’mores and more. All ages are welcome. No registration required.

Saturday, Sept. 12
White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow—With Kids Events
Jester Park Campground Area (follow signs) | 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. | Free
The White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow continues with music, dancing, food and retail vendors, plus a Kids Zone from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. with crafts, games, a candy dance and more. Grand Entries are at 1 and 7 p.m. Admission and parking are free; donations are appreciated. Bring a chair or blanket.

Buy Nothing Event–Pay Nothing Event
Minburn United Methodist Church | 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Free
This one may be worth the 15-minute drive! Everything is free at this “Buy Nothing” event, including kids’ and adults’ clothing and shoes, household items, furniture and more. It’s also Minburn’s city-wide garage sale day — maps are available from the Minburn Public Library.

Woodward Community Food Pantry
Woodward United Methodist Church | 2-4 p.m.
The Woodward Community Food Pantry serves the residents of Woodward, Granger and Bouton,  and is open the second and fourth Saturday’s of the month.

Sunday, Sept. 13
Stone Bridge Church’s Birthday Sunday
18280 Wendover Ave. | 10 a.m.
Help Stone Bridge celebrate nine years as a church—and its first Birthday Sunday in its new building! The celebration will include the Fire and Ember Food Truck, ice cream sundaes and water baptisms. Everyone is invited to join the fun.

White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow—With Kids Events
Jester Park Campground Area (follow signs) | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Free
The final day of the event features music, dancing, food and vendors from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., with Grand Entry at 1 p.m. and free kids’ crafts until 4 p.m. Free admission and parking; donations appreciated. Bring a chair or blanket.

Monday, Sept. 14
Woodward City Council Meeting
Woodward City Hall at 105 E 2nd St. | 7 p.m.
If you’ve been following along, there are a few interesting things being talked about in Woodward right now—including a certain two-word topic that rhymes with “cada menter.” 👀 All Regular Council Meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 pm. unless otherwise noted. 

Tuesday, Sept. 15
Adult Yoga
Granger Community Center | 10-11 a.m. |
Yoga for adults with beginner to intermediate experience.

Early Readers Daytime Craft
Woodward Public Library | 10-11 a.m.
Little ones can stop by the Woodward Public Library to make a fuzzy hedgehog magnet to take home.

Women in the Woods with Wine: Monarch Migration
Jester Park Nature Center | 7-9 p.m. | Women ages 21+| $15/Register by Sept. 13
Enjoy a glass of wine while learning about monarch butterflies and their migration to Mexico, then try your hand at catching and tagging monarchs. Register by Sunday, Sept. 13.

Wednesday, Sept. 16
Library Story Time
Granger Public Library | 11:15-11:45 a.m. | Ages 0-5 |
Little ones can enjoy stories, songs, snacks and crafts at this weekly library get-together. No registration needed.

Early Out at Woodward Public Library
Woodward Public Library | 2:30-3:30 p.m. | K-12th grade
This week’s theme: Meet Your Book Match. Kids can take fun personality quizzes to find their perfect book match! No registration required.

Story Tellebration: Apples for Me
Jester Park Nature Center | 10 a.m. | Designed for ages 2-6 | Free
Kids can enjoy an interactive story and activity that explores the outdoors, with storyteller Carmen Epstein. This month’s theme is Apples for Me. No registration is required.

Thursday, Sept. 17
Senior Bingo
Granger Community Center | 1-3 p.m. |
A chance for older adults to get out of the house and connect with cards, games, movies, conversation and occasional ice cream socials: hosted by Granger Parks and Rec.

Nintendo Switch Free Play After School
Woodward Public Library | 4:30 - 6 p.m. | Tweens and Teens
Kids can hang out with friends and enjoy some Nintendo Switch games free play at the library — especially great for kids with mean moms who don’t let them play 24/7 at home. 😉

A school fundraiser might not sound all that newsworthy. But when you find out Woodward-Granger families and supporters donated more than $55,000 last year—and that the amount keeps pace with what schools like Ankeny and Waukee are raising—it tells a bigger story about how this small community shows up for its kids.

And that’s just the ELC & Elementary PTO.

The WG ELC & Elementary PTO holds just one fundraiser each school year, and it’s entirely donation-based. Kids can ask family, friends and neighbors to contribute, but there are no candy bars, wrapping paper or popcorn to sell!

Last year’s donations helped pay for field trips for more than 600 students, new recess equipment at the Early Learning Center, the fifth-grade BizTown experience, library bags, Scholastic weekly readers, classroom supplies and events including Pancake Breakfast, Bingo Night, ELC Family Night and Elementary Math Night.

This year, the goal is $50,000—and WG ELC & Elementary PTO President Katie Spellman is optimistic, especially since they’ve already raised $10,000 toward that goal.

Along with covering many of those same expenses, the PTO has something new planned this year: a customized book vending machine for both the ELC and Elementary School. Each student will receive a token for a free book on their birthday or half-birthday, with the machines stocked with popular books at a range of reading levels.

Students can also earn prizes for their fundraising efforts, including bowling coupons, hat-day coupons, a pizza lunch and new custom WG socks. And every student—regardless of how much they raise—will get a movie day at the Boone Theater in October.

👉 Click here to donate! The fundraiser runs through Sept. 21, with donations supporting the ELC and Elementary School equally.

👉 Click here to learn more about WG’s ELC & Elementary PTO.

• Be Part of the Granger Fall Festival + Kids Fishing Tournament 🍂
We’re looking at you, small businesses, kids’ sports clubs and churches! 👀 Host a booth or game, volunteer during the event or become a sponsor.

The first-ever Fall Festival is a fun way to get involved in the community—and as a bonus, everyone who comes gets a chance to see your name and learn more about what you do. Email [email protected] to get involved.

• Mural Coming to the Granger Community Center 🖌️
Plans are underway for a new mural on the south side of the Community Center, with painting expected to be finished by the holidays. Organizers want the design to reflect Granger’s past, present and future—and they’re looking for more community members to help shape it, especially high school students and young adults.

If you have thoughts and opinions, now’s the time to share them! Join the planning committee by emailing Granger Parks and Rec. Director Alishia VanDrimmelen at [email protected].

• No Parking on Part of Sycamore Street 🚫
Beginning Thursday, Sept. 17, on-street parking will no longer be allowed on Sycamore Street north of State Street. New “No Parking” signs will be installed along that section soon.

Granger City Council members said safety is a major concern in the area with the new WG Middle School, even for members who had reservations about the parking restriction in the past. For occasional short-term needs—such as a lawn service needing access to mow a property—the city can look at parking situations on a case-by-case basis.

✂️ Monday Sept. 21 —WG Middle School Ribbon Cutting, Tours & School Board Meeting starting at 5 p.m.

🎃 Saturday, Oct. 17— Granger Fall Festival

📌 Community Board

🦅Hawks Apparel for a Good Cause
Buy some cute Hawks gear and support Grandwood Education Center, a specialized WG educational program serving special education students from elementary through post-secondary. Proceeds will help purchase supplies, sensory items and other student needs. Click here for the store—orders close Tuesday, Sept. 15.

🍀 Join Granger’s Daring Dreamers 4-H Club
Registration is open for kids in grades K–12, with Clover Kids for younger members and 4-H for older kids. The club meets at the Granger Community Center. Questions? Contact Jessica Hebert at [email protected].

👕 Let’s Help Everyone Get WG Gear!
Woodward United Methodist Church is collecting new and gently used WG spiritwear to help get Hawks gear into the hands of local kids and families who can use it. If you have WG gear to pass along, contact Brenda Talbert at [email protected].

🍅 Help Keep the Woodward Farmers Market Going!
The current farmers market planner is ready to hand things over to someone new. If you enjoy bringing people together, supporting local vendors and want to help keep the market going, contact Theresa Seeman Hotchkiss on Facebook.

🍗 If you're able, consider picking up an extra source of protein—dairy, meat, etc.—during your next grocery trip and drop it by the community refrigerator at the Granger Public Library. Or, if you’re in Woodward, drop your items off at the Woodward Public Library for the community refrigerator there.

🚘 Volunteer Drivers Needed
Volunteer Community Services of Woodward & Granger (VCSWG) is looking for volunteer drivers to help local residents get to appointments, pick up groceries, and run errands—helping neighbors stay independent. Students, this is also a great opportunity to earn Silver Cord hours.For more information, call 515-978-8114 or visit vcswg.org.

❓Do you have a volunteer opportunity, job posting or another local announcement you’d like included here? Reply to this email and let me know.