To show support and raise money for troubled children, the Beloit Children’s Home is hosting its fourth annual “Blue Sky Day” Saturday on the grounds of Lutheran Social Services, 1323 Northwestern Ave.

The Beloit Children’s Home is a residential treatment center for severely emotionally disabled children.

Ed Ruppert, clinical social worker at Beloit and chairman of Blue Sky Day, said the event gives the community the opportunity to provide better care for the kids living there.

“We have a 109-year history in the state of Iowa serving children,” Ruppert said.

Some children living in the home already have suffered a lot of trauma in their short lives, he said.

“Many of them come in here angry, depressed and are inclined to act out,” he said. “They are some of the most vulnerable children in the state.”

It makes a powerful statement when Ames residents are willing to show support, Ruppert said.

“We realized that we needed the community to be involved to give them a sense they were cared for and to raise funds to give them the care we otherwise wouldn’t be able to provide,” he said.

Stacy Frese, point guard for the Iowa State women’s basketball team, is helping to promote the event by serving as grand marshall.

“I didn’t know much about the home before, but I learned a lot with this, and anytime we can give back to the community, it’s worthwhile,” she said.

Ruppert said the event has been successful in the past — last year Beloit raised more than $6,000.

“Even though the weather was bad, people showed up and the children felt really blessed,” he said.

Ruppert said the turnout should be good again this year.

“We had about 75 registrants as of Wednesday morning, and we will probably have over a 100 by tomorrow afternoon,” he said Thursday. “Also, we have a lot of walk-on registrants. I would imagine we will have 300 to 400 people here this year.”

ISU Freshman Council also has gotten involved with Blue Sky Day, Ruppert said.

“They have been providing a lot of services and volunteers to help us with the event,” he said.