Kids’ activities make Founder’s Day a family affair

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Maricopa families turned out in great numbers on Saturday at The Duke in Rancho El Dorado to participate in the city’s second annual Founder’s Day celebration.

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Families enjoy the Founder’s Day carnival games.

The event featured a “midway” with ten different, carnival-type games for kids to play. Participants tested their skills at games like the Tic Tac Toss, Octopus, Rattlesnake Round-up, the very popular Cow Milking Contest and several others. More than 2,500 children’s prizes were given away over the course of the day.

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Kids try their skill at the Cow Milking Contest.

A Dunk the Dentist Tank, sponsored by Maricopa Family Dentistry and Orthodontics, was also on site. Little ones were able to stop by the face-painting tent to have their favorite artwork painted on by the talented “Mr. Jim” from Arizona Amusements & Entertainment. Guests enjoyed free snow cones provided by Calvary Chapel.

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Dr. Kevin Wolff gets dunked in the Dentist Tank.

Another featured attraction was the Kid’s Bike Rodeo, sponsored by Community of Hope Church. Thirty-five kids decorated their bicycles before proudly riding them past hundreds of cheering spectators. All of the Bike Rodeo participants received coupons for free ice cream, donated by Baskin Robbins.

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A bike rodeo participant races by spectators.

Students from the Tiny Tot, Mini-Princess, Ballet 101, Snazzy Jazz and Hip Hop Dance classes, in the City of Maricopa Parks, Recreation and Libraries (PRL) Youth Dance program, performed wonderfully in seven different routines. Instructor Elizabeth Fujimoto has been working with the girls, ranging in age from three years to pre-teen, for the last five weeks to prepare.

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Snazzy Jazz performs.

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The Hip Hop dancers.
Several members of the Spirit Line from Maricopa Middle School, led by
Coach Kim Bonefield, were on hand to greet guests as they arrived at the event. The group, along with several of Bonefield’s other Cheer Clinic participants, also put on an exciting display later in the afternoon.

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Routines by the Spirit Line from Maricopa Middle School and the Cheer Clinic.

Several other groups and organizations from around the city generously volunteered to work the carnival games, which helped make the day a huge success. Those groups included: Community of Hope Church, Cub Scouts of Maricopa, Curves of Maricopa, Girl Scouts of Maricopa, Legacy Montessori, Maricopa High School Key Club, Maricopa Women in Business, and Stormin’ Norman Pest Control. Volunteer Mark Schwartz helped out with pre and post event preparations.

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Free snow cones, courtesy of Calvary Chapel.

“One of our goals for Founder’s Day 2005 was to have a lot of things for the kids to do, which ultimately creates a family friendly environment,” PRL Director Martin McDonald stated. “The bike rodeo was a big success. The kids loved the dunk tank, the free snow cones, the face painter as well as the ten different games they could play. I was very pleased with the set up.”

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Even the chili contest was a family affair for Arizona Associates in Dentistry.

With so many activities focusing on the city’s youngest residents, the chance to “Discover Maricopa” at Founder’s Day proved to be great fun for the whole family!