The Fourth Annual Bay Mills Community Picnic and First National Kids Day, sponsored by the Bay Mills Department of Recreation and Health Promotion and the Boys and Girls Club, was held Saturday, July 31, and Sunday, Aug. 1, at the Bay Mills ball diamond.
The picnic menu featured a roasted pig, deep fried turkey, hamburgers and hotdogs. Also served were numerous delicious dishes brought by picnic guests — potato salad, ramen-noodle salad, baked beans, and macaroni and cheese, as well as plenty of scrumptious desserts.
Included in this year's picnic were a dodge ball competition, won by Brad Cameron; homerun derby, Dave Anderson; pie-baking contest, won by Jodie Osmond; and cribbage tournament, won by Robin Bedell.
The picnic also featured the first-ever Senior Sports Spectacular, a popular event showcasing elders 55 and over. They participated in events including a football toss, t-ball competition, putting contest, hoop shoot and baggo. Contestants accumulated points for each event. The competition was fierce, but Charlie Parish took home first place, while Gloria McKinney took second. Molly Timmer, only trailing by one point, took third.
Bingo was another popular event that allowed everyone 18 and over the chance to buy tickets and win a prize. This year's bingo was a “u pick 'em,” in which people bought tickets and picked their own lucky numbers. A special thanks to Jim Horney who donated a homemade rock tree as a prize.
For everyone's listening pleasure — Mark Bowen and his band, Hypnotik, played a wide variety of tunes. Special guest appearances included Marquita Crane, Skip Parish and the Recreation Departments' own Ken Hopper, playing a mean tambourine and “shaking his groove thang.”
The evening included a surprise as Jimmy Miller, owner of Mel's Fireworks, set off a display of fireworks for everyone's visual enjoyment.
National Kids Day was held Sunday, Aug. 1, with a Hawaiian theme. The day was packed with events and prizes just for kids.
Activities included face painting, a dunk tank, a water trampoline and an inflatable bouncer.
Games included a sack race, three-legged race, egg/spoon race, super milk jug fill, water balloon toss and super soaker “color tag” sack race. There was also a limbo contest.
A tiki bar was set up, providing free frozen beverages to everyone. There were also hotdogs and hamburgers and a variety of snacks.
Games and prizes for children 5 and under were provided by the Bay Mills Child Development Center.
Kids were also treated to horseback rides, thanks to Steve Yanni and his family, who brought their horse.
A huge thanks goes out to all the volunteers — Jeanne Bedell, Betty Cameron, Rich Crane, Shelly Deuman, Dr. Hansen, Diane and Jim Horney, Bobbi Lyons, Marcia Malloy, Rochelle Menominee, Casey (Popcorn) Munz, C.J. Parish, Skip Parish Jr., Irma and Bob Parrish, Jason and Lynda Pesola, Teresa Tadgerson, Sharon Teeple, Tonia Teeple, Michelle Willis, and Steve and Heddi Yanni. A special thanks to the crews that helped set up and clean up — Bay Mills Maintenance, Hank Bowen and Kelly Shipman. A big kudos goes out to Junior from 99.5 Yes FM for emcee-ing National Kids Day.
Donations were greatly appreciated from the following businesses — Bay Mills Resort and Casino, Kings Club Casino, Wild Bluff Golf Course, Bay Mills Pow Wow Committee, Bay Mills Child Development Center, A Cut Above the Rest, Four Seasons Market, J.C. Penney's, Parker's Ace Hardware, Ruth Schofield, Quaker State, Wilcox's Fish House and Willabee's.
