Mountain Lake Assembly holds 8th annual event for area children
They call it Kids Fest – but, in reality, it is a Kids’ “Feast” – a feast of fun activities, free meal, snow cones, prizes and a backpack chock full of all the items they need to get off to a great start to a new school year.
Mountain Lake Assembly held its 8th Annual Kids Fest on Friday, August 7, in Mountain Lake City Park. The free event featured a four-hour a spread for children preschool age-through-6th grade. Activities included a Dunk Tank, a couple of Bounce Houses, Wrecking Ball Inflatable Bounce Game, Inflatable Bounce Slide, Inflatable Bounce Obstacle Course, Face Painting, Water Balloon Fight, Tug-Of-War and Gaga Ball. As in prior years, kids were offered a free meal and a chance to cool down with a snow cone. Adults and those over the age of 6th grade could purchase the meal of hot dog, chips and beverage for a small fee.
Kids Fest closed with its traditional big giveaway of prizes and hundreds of backpacks and required school supplies.
This year’s Kids Fest marked the largest event in it history, with 335 kids participating; with more than 500 total people filling the downtown square-block park.
“During his time on earth, Jesus demonstrated the precious value of each child. Now, we want kids to keep experiencing that love and sense of worth,” explains Pastor David Savage. “In addition, we want to offer some practical help to all the families of our community through the giving away of backpacks and school supplies.”
While significantly organized, staffed, and paid for by Mountain Lake Assembly, this event would not be possible without the generous support of dozens of local businesses and individuals from the community. Supporters included Buhler Construction, Bargen Inc., United Prairie Bank, Edward Jones-Chad J. Klassen, Klassen Farms, The Matchless Gift, Alliance Missionary Church, KBQ Inc., Town’s Edge Auto, Midway Farm Equipment, United Prairie Insurance, Hoek Outdoors, Midway Auto Body, Paradise Cove Salon, Hanson Plumbing, Mark Hanson, Realty, Mountain Lake Floral, Peterson Thrifty White Drug and Gifts and True Value Co-op Hardware. The City of Mountain Lake and its Street Department also assisted with the event.
Below is a photo gallery from this year’s event:
EZRA SAVAGE PROUDLY displays his bright green Kids Fest bracelet, identifying him as a participant in the 8th annual event for kids from preschool age-to-sixth grade.
THOSE BRACELETS WERE distributed when kids registered. Above, volunteer Jamie Morin, right, explains the event to mom Stacey Stade (also a first-grade teacher at Mountain Lake Public Elementary School), left, and her daughter, Elena (who will be a first-grader this fall), center.
“JUMBO JENGA” WAS one of the game options in the gazebo. Kiyarra Vetsouvanh is focused on defeating her uncle, Tony Vetsouvanh, in this larger-than-life, not-the-right-size-for-a-table game.
BENTLEE STAHL, RIGHT, prepped his motor skills for preschool by playing a ball-toss game, with his grandma, Lynda Cowell, left, feeding him the game balls. Bentlee’s left leg kick-out was crucial to his success.
A COUPLE OF Zuehlke brothers – T. J., left and Brockton, right, use their mental skills and agility playing “Jumbo Kerplunk.”
KOLE HABERMAN, LEFT, handles the “wrecking ball” in the game of the same name as he decides which opponent he will aim it at in order to knock over – and out – of the inflatable bounce game..
THE “TARGETS” AT right go up on tip-toe in order to avoid being hit by the hand-batted ball sent by Jake Evers, left, eliminating them from this round of Gaga Ball.
THE FARMYARD CAME to town – with the “holstein” cow the fave for this photo top; the chicken left waiting in the “wings.”
WHAT IS MORE fun on a hot Friday afternoon in August – but a water balloon fight? The little guy at right has dead aim with his water balloon on the back of the other young boy at left, attempting to out-run the “kerplush.”
BROOKE GAEBEL GOES deep into the tub to grab another water balloon.
IT’S A WATER balloon-to-water-balloon stand-off between the two girls at right. In the end – all three got soaked!
ANEDISON BISPO WORKS the ice crushing machine in order to scoop up a snow cone.
PROVIDING THE SNOW cone flavoring and color of choice was Gary Christensen, left. Above, he hands off a completed snow cone to a young fella.
A COUPLE OF Bounce Houses for kids of different age groups provided bunches of bouncy fun.
CARLY FAST, LEFT, uses her creative spirit to “paint” a purple butterfly on the cheek of Leah Janzen, right, at the Face Painting booth.
SISTERLY/BROTHERLY LOVE was left at the starting line (for the time being) as twins Michala Morin, left and Landon Morin, right, take off onto the bouncy Obstacle Course. Serving as starter is Jake Freitag, center.
CARSEN HOPPER DODGES the battering ram obstacles in the middle of the course.
KEATON KHEMPHOMMA HAS his eyes focused on the red-and-white target fixed to the arm of the Dunk Tank.
AIDEN HOLMBERG, LEFT and Layken Marcy, right, react with huge grins and animated cheers when Keaton’s softball hits its mark. Why?
WELL – THAT “HIT” sent Nicole James, Mountain Lake Public Elementary School kindergarten teacher, “down into the drink.”
THIS YOUNG LADY pitched a perfect “sinker” ball to dunk Micah Sieber – sitting in the non-“catbird seat” of the Dunk Tank.
VOLUNTEER DONNA ELLINGSON gets a line of grilled hot dogs ready for the hungry masses to devour.
BRAXTON BROWN IS going to have a little hot dog with his mustard.
PICNIC! THEO EVERS downs his hot dog while “al fresco” – sitting on a picnic table outside the city park’s shelter house.
HEY! TONY EWERT! Aren’t you supposed to be officiating the Tug-Of-War – not giving aid to one side or the other – even if they are in trouble and losing ground?
ANCHORING THIS SIDE of the Tug-Of-War are, from left, Jasmine Davison, Faith Simon and Andres Vetsouvanh.
AND THEN IT was Dads versus Kids. Two of the dads giving it their all are Tito Vetsouvanh, left and Jorge Garcia, right.
GUESS WHO WON? You’re right – ALL of the kids teamed up on the opposite side of the rope. (And there are plenty of verifying videos taking by moms and dads standing at back.)
PASTOR DAVID SAVAGE, front, get the event’s “closing ceremonies” going by drawing the winning names of eligible registered kids for the table full of prizes. Assisting Savage are Cutter Garloff, left and Tony Ewert, right. Scoping the table for the price of her choice is Claudia Garza, second from right.
AN OFFICIAL KIDS Fest photo – with plenty more of the 335 kids attending outside the shot in both the left and right stage wings.
THE CAPPING EVENT is the “stuffing of the backpack” with all of the necessary school supplies. Above, Lily Youngwirth, right, is assisted by Jenesa Stoesz, volunteer.
FAIRLANE PENNER, LEFT, packs up her own backpack, behind held by Jake Freitag, volunteer, right.
YEP! CHASE RADTKE, right, is going to be ready (school supply-wise) for the first day of school, courtesy of the help of Amanda Korns, volunteer, left.
PASTOR DAVID SAVAGE (Kids Fest is his brainchild), at left center, is captured in a rare moment of “non-motion” during the event, surveying all of the action taking place in the square city block park.
