SPANISH FORT, Ala. — With less than a month until the second annual Delta Woods and Waters Expo showcases Spanish Fort’s myriad natural resources for hundreds of school children and the public at large, steering committee members are taking the message to the business community in hopes of boosting the signature event’s profile and offerings.

Specifically, local business owners are being asked to consider providing corporate sponsorships to help offset the community expo’s costs.

“The response I’ve heard has been very favorable so far, but people are still slow to come on board because it’s still such a new event.

“In a few years we hope (the event) will be synonymous with the city itself, but it takes a while to get there,” said Monica Davis, the event’s marketing coordinator.

Slated for April 29 through May 1 at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center, the expo’s theme of “Discovering the Delta” aims to familiarize locals and visitors alike with the wealth of ecological and environmental lessons available in Spanish Fort, while helping develop what many believe can easily become the city’s signature event. The expo is designed to expose area youth to the virtues of environmental consciousness and importance of marine safety, while simultaneously addressing the city’s long-range goal of creating a communitywide event that defines and unites its residents.

Planning Commissioner Maura Dismuke, who sits on the expo’s steering committee, said organizers have only begun petitioning business owners for support in recent weeks, but the primary message is that opportunities exist at all income levels to provide support.

“This is a community event, so there’s no cutoff date for anybody interested in helping out,” Dismuke said.

The expo’s first two days will cater exclusively to fourth-graders from Spanish Fort, Rockwell and Daphne Elementary schools as well as W.J. Carroll Intermediate School, where all students will participate in each of the eight round-robin activities focusing on everything from mall boat handling, kite making, and local wildlife to kayaks, canoes and racing hulls.

Saturday’s Family Day will feature the same eight activities plus additions such as hiking, fly casting and yarn making. Organizers are still searching for a live musical act to perform Saturday, and the expo will host a cooperative ice cream social on the grounds of Five Rivers in conjunction with Spanish Fort’s May 1 Small Cities celebration, with area churches providing the ice cream.

For more information, contact Spanish Fort City Hall at (251) 626-4884.