Cyrus apologized and said that he hoped "the kids have a fun day and that he would try to make it up to them some other time," Weirick said.
It was last-minute, unexpected news for the 20 YMCA staff and volunteers who had planned the event four months in advance.
But the staff stayed committed to their theme of promoting health in kids by "putting play in your day." They smoothly scrambled for something else to do for the more than 200 kids and 100 parents who crammed into the Multi-Purpose Room.
Michele Blake-Jones from the Y took over the stage and cheered up the energetic youngsters and encouraged them move their feet to a country line dance and a hip hop routine.
Although that apologetic call from Cyrus still lingered in everyone's mind and some left the Y to find entertainment elsewhere, the optimists stayed on and found entertainment in the smallest things, like getting a free toothbrush from Glendale non-profit organization, Glendale Healthy Kids and getting free nutritious food samples from Traveler's Gourmet. Children of all ages lined up to get sample of the sliced apples — then happily dipped and crunched the apples.
Others got a colorful tattoo drawn on their tiny biceps or soft cheeks.
Asked what was her favorite thing of the day, Sahar Shirbacheh, 6, replied it was having the chance to hop into a fire truck that was there.
"I liked it because I got a sticker and a book and got to go in the front and the back of the fire truck," she said, gazing at the four white daisies that Kelli Whitcomb, a YMCA staffer, drew on her left arm with water colors.
