- Families of the Stolen's Day of Laughter gives North Omaha children a space to simply be kids.
- Attendees say the event is a direct rebuttal to negative perceptions of North Omaha, proving the neighborhood is capable of coming together for positive, productive experiences.
- Founder Buffy Bush built the organization from a painful personal experience, and 12 years later, she says helping others is what continues to drive her.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The 12th Annual Day of Laughter Splash Party, hosted by Families of the Stolen, brought North Omaha families together for an afternoon of fun, creating lasting memories and strengthening community connections.
The event may be called the Day of Laughter, but for many families, it represents so much more.
"I am the group people don't want to be a part of, but unfortunately, the violence makes them a part of my group."
Founder Buffy Bush says the event is dedicated to giving children a chance to simply enjoy being kids.
"The day of laughter's meaning is to let our children know that there is still love and laughter in our community. Just because they see nonstop violence, there are organizations out here that want the best for them, that want to see them laugh, that want to see them have fun, that want them to know that they can still be a child," Bush said.
Families enjoyed raffle giveaways with prizes including gift cards, TVs, and laptops, along with live entertainment.
Attendee Vonceal Garrison said the event sends a powerful message about what North Omaha truly represents.
"It lets us know that there's more to North Omaha than violence. We can come together. We can do positive, productive things, and this just shows you that we are not the stereotype that some people label us to be," Garrison said.
Garrison also spoke to Bush's dedication and the origins of her work.
"She gets back in so many ways, and it starts from a situation that happened with her sister, and it just expanded, and having the kids out here, and free food, and snacks, and water, and camaraderie, it's amazing," Garrison said.
For Bush, seeing families come together makes every effort worthwhile.
"It gives me a reason to want to help someone else, because it helps me," Bush
The 12th Annual Day of Laughter Splash Party, hosted by Families of the Stolen, brought North Omaha families together for an afternoon of fun, creating lasting memories and strengthening community connections.
The event may be called the Day of Laughter, but for many families, it represents so much more.
"I am the group people don't want to be a part of, but unfortunately, the violence makes them a part of my group."
Founder Buffy Bush says the event is dedicated to giving children a chance to simply enjoy being kids.
"The day of laughter's meaning is to let our children know that there is still love and laughter in our community. Just because they see nonstop violence, there are organizations out here that want the best for them, that want to see them laugh, that want to see them have fun, that want them to know that they can still be a child," Bush said.
Families enjoyed raffle giveaways with prizes including gift cards, TVs, and laptops, along with live entertainment.
Attendee Vonceal Garrison said the event sends a powerful message about what North Omaha truly represents.
"It lets us know that there's more to North Omaha than violence. We can come together. We can do positive, productive things, and this just shows you that we are not the stereotype that some people label us to be," Garrison said.
Garrison also spoke to Bush's dedication and the origins of her work.
"She gets back in so many ways, and it starts from a situation that happened with her sister, and it just expanded, and having the kids out here, and free food, and snacks, and water, and camaraderie, it's amazing," Garrison said.
For Bush, seeing families come together makes every effort worthwhile.
"It gives me a reason to want to help someone else, because it helps me," Bush said.
As the day came to a close, organizers said the memories made at the event will last far beyond the splash pads and giveaways. Their hope is that every child leaves knowing their community is filled with people who care.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
