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ARMA —
Arma area youngsters are trying to locate the speediest turtles they can get for the Arma VJ Homecoming turtle race, scheduled to begin around 11 a.m. Saturday at the grand stand.
“The children’s games start out right after the homecoming parade, and the first thing is the turtle race,” said Jayne Heim, one of the chairmen who has been helping with the games for about six years. “The kids line up after the parade, and we give them time to get their turtles up there.”
She stressed that only land turtles, such a box turtles, are eligible to compete.
No red-eared sliders, snapping turtles or other aquatic turtles are eligible to compete.
Following that will be tricycle races for boys and girls ages 3 and 4, with entrants required to furnish their own trike.
After that will be the foot races , an activity race and NERF ball throwing contest.
“The activity race is our bean bag race,” Heim said. “The kids have to hold the bean bag on their head and go with it.
Boys and girls compete separately for these events, and they are divided into age groups for 3-5, 6-8, 9-11 and 12-15.
Gene and Billie McCloud have been helping out with the games since they moved back to the Arma area when their own children were small.
“I think it’s as much fun to watch the kids as it is for them to take part in the games,” Billie McCloud said. “This is something that Gene and I will do until we can’t do it any more.”
While there are newcomers every year, there are also a lot of youngsters who always come out for the games.
“It’s neat to watch them each year as they grow and progress on to the next age category,” McCloud said. “It kind of takes us back in time to when our children were little.”
Now, she said, her teen son Cody McCloud is too old to compete but helps out with the games.
McCloud said that the youngsters often get caught up in the spirit of competition.
“It’s almost like they think they’re in the Olympics,” she said. “They’re running for the gold or throwing for the gold, and their parents are always so proud of them. I think the kids in the foot races are getting faster every year, which should make track coach Piper Richardson happy when they get to Northeast High School.”
Arma area youngsters are trying to locate the speediest turtles they can get for the Arma VJ Homecoming turtle race, scheduled to begin around 11 a.m. Saturday at the grand stand.
“The children’s games start out right after the homecoming parade, and the first thing is the turtle race,” said Jayne Heim, one of the chairmen who has been helping with the games for about six years. “The kids line up after the parade, and we give them time to get their turtles up there.”
She stressed that only land turtles, such a box turtles, are eligible to compete.
No red-eared sliders, snapping turtles or other aquatic turtles are eligible to compete.
Following that will be tricycle races for boys and girls ages 3 and 4, with entrants required to furnish their own trike.
After that will be the foot races , an activity race and NERF ball throwing contest.
“The activity race is our bean bag race,” Heim said. “The kids have to hold the bean bag on their head and go with it.
Boys and girls compete separately for these events, and they are divided into age groups for 3-5, 6-8, 9-11 and 12-15.
Gene and Billie McCloud have been helping out with the games since they moved back to the Arma area when their own children were small.
“I think it’s as much fun to watch the kids as it is for them to take part in the games,” Billie McCloud said. “This is something that Gene and I will do until we can’t do it any more.”
While there are newcomers every year, there are also a lot of youngsters who always come out for the games.
“It’s neat to watch them each year as they grow and progress on to the next age category,” McCloud said. “It kind of takes us back in time to when our children were little.”
Now, she said, her teen son Cody McCloud is too old to compete but helps out with the games.
McCloud said that the youngsters often get caught up in the spirit of competition.
“It’s almost like they think they’re in the Olympics,” she said. “They’re running for the gold or throwing for the gold, and their parents are always so proud of them. I think the kids in the foot races are getting faster every year, which should make track coach Piper Richardson happy when they get to Northeast High School.”
No gold medals will be given at the homecoming, but there will be prize money for the top five winners in each age group of every game.
Amounts are $5 for first place, $4 for second place, $3 for third place, $2 for fourth place and $1 for fifth place. The prize money is contributed by the Arma Homecoming Association.
“I just hope we have a good turn-out,” McCloud said. “The weather is supposed to be nice and there’s a carnival this year, so I think we probably will have a lot of kids at the games.”
Also helping with the children’s games are Tracy Bogina, Tracey Kukovich and Pam Sparks.
