What you need to know:

• A free community baby shower featuring prizes, games and classes is scheduled for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at CCS Head Start in Wasilla.
• The event is open to Mat-Su residents who are expecting a child or have an infant up to 1 year old. Both mothers and fathers are welcome.
• Registration is not required. Parents who miss Saturday’s shower are encouraged to watch for future events, which are held throughout the year.

WASILLA – New parents in Mat-Su will have access to free gifts, food, prizes and classes this week at a community baby shower scheduled for Saturday in Wasilla.

The event, open to expectant parents and those with a child up to 1 year old, will be held at the Wasilla CCS Head Start near Parks Highway on April 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The community baby shower is designed to celebrate Mat-Su families, give local parents a chance to meet each other and help families build skills for their "parenting toolbox," said Colleen Andrews, a project coordinator with Raising Our Children with Kindness, commonly known as ROCK Mat-Su.

Workshops at the event will focus on topics such as breastfeeding, labor and the introduction of solid foods, she said.

“It’s really heartwarming to kind of be in that space and watch how much gratitude is given, and how much joy and appreciation is given by those that are attending. And the babies are happy — it’s a lot of fun, it’s a great event,” Andrews said.

While registration is not required to attend, a top offering at the ROCK Mat-Su baby shower is the free gift bags - each filled with about $100 worth of items - available to the first 150 people who sign up, Andrews said.

Registration for the gift bags is full for Saturday's event, according to the ROCK Mat-Su registration form. Parents who registered for a bag but can't attend can pick it up at the Wasilla CCS Head Start office during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, Andrews said. Those who missed the gift bag registration should keep an eye out for future ROCK Mat-Su baby showers, she said.

This is the organization's seventh year hosting baby showers, which are held several times a year at different locations throughout Mat-Su as a means of reaching as many families as possible, Andrews said.

Dates and locations for upcoming showers will be posted on ROCK Mat-Su's Facebook page, website and the Connect Mat-Su events webpage. A total of four baby showers are scheduled for this year, officials said. 

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