Children are the future. That’s why Baldwinsville Chiropractic is hosting Kids Day America this Saturday.

“Our children are the most important thing in our lives and their health is most important,” said Dr. James Dougherty of Baldwinsville Chiropractic.

The 13th annual Kids Day America is a free event held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday Sept. 22 at Baldwinsville Chiropractic. Children will be able to enjoy entertainment by Scooby Doo, Sparkey the Fire Dog and Wacky Chadd. A fire engine tour, Tawn Marie’s Dancers and karate demonstrations will also be conducted. Meanwhile, parents can obtain essential information on crime prevention, child and Internet safety, fire safety and environmental awareness issues.

“I can’t imagine another way to gather so much information in one spot at one time,” said Norma Widmann, a proponent of the event. “Wacky Chadd is sure to delight all.”

On the fun side, the event features free food, balloons, face painting and tattoos and on the healthy side, it features free spinal health screenings and dental screenings. Safety-wise, the event features free child ID cards and photos courtesy of Baldwinsville Chiropractic and fingerprinting courtesy of the Baldwinsville Police Department. In addition to all the free services and information, participants will be eligible for free food, giveaways and prize drawings.

Baldwinsville Chiropractic is one of more than 2,000 offices celebrating the event throughout the world.

“As a local chiropractor, I spend much of my time, both inside and outside my practice, helping children,” Dougherty said, adding that he and his wife have five children of their own. “It is for this very reason that I chose to sponsor this event in Baldwinsville.”

Additional sponsorships were secured from Syracuse.com, P&C Foods, Tawn Marie’s Dance Studio, Baldwinsville Gentle Dentristry, Gino & Joe’s Pizza, C&G Music, Baldwinsville Fire Department, Beaver Lake Nature Center, Canal Walk Caf (c), Abbott’s Farm and others. The event benefits Paige’s Butterfly Run.

“We have chosen to sponsor Paige’s Butterfly Run as part of our celebration to spotlight their involvement in pediatric cancer,” Dougherty said.

The event will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon.

For more information, call 635-1231 or visit childrenswellness.com.