‘Where a kid can be a kid’

Noelle Pennyman

KIC event attracts local students for fun, games

Bradley Davis, 11, holds a snake from Jungle Terry Wildlife Adventure during Blizzard Bash Saturday. The festival, sponsored by KIC, featured a variety of booths run by students. KATIE ROUPE | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: Jason Hall

Excited children ran around with pink and blue mouths from the cotton candy. They talked rapidly to their friends about what they saw and what they planned to do next.

Kent Interhall Council had their second annual Blizzard Bash Friday in Eastway’s Lower Lounge.

Nearly 90 students from kindergarten to the fifth grade came to play in the carnival-like atmosphere.

Director of Community Development Kevin Gareau said he was pleased with the turnout.

“It really made me happy and put my mind at ease at how much fun the kids are having,” he said.

KIC gave out raffle prizes to the kids during the course of the evening.

“The kids seem to be happy with the prizes,” Gareau said.

He said if he were to change anything about the event, he would offer more raffle prizes.

Paul Holbert, also known as “Mr. Balloons,” made balloon animals and other characters for the children. He said he’s been working with balloons for more than 10 years.

Jungle Terry brought in many animals for the children to either look at or interact with. Some of the animals included a boa constrictor, alligators, a tortoise, small snakes and a chinchilla.

Some of the games the hall councils provided were ring toss, “Frozen Boat Pond,” “Hot Shot,” a coloring contest, gingerbread making, “Pin the Nose on the Snowman” and “Make a Snowflake.”

KIC served sno-cones, popcorn and cotton candy as free food for the children.

Samantha Zeller, a second-grader from Longhorn Elementary School, said the balloons were her favorite part of the Bash.

“That guy is awesome,” she said.

She said she also liked making gingerbread men.

When she saw the snakes, Zeller said she was scared of them, even the smaller ones.

“When I walked up to it (the snake), I screamed in my mind then I walked away from that section,” she said.

All of the students received blue bags full of free items. Zeller said she got pink cotton candy and popcorn to go in her bag.

“I’m saving the popcorn,” she said.

Chloe Froning, a second grader from Holden Elementary School, said she came to the Blizzard Bash last year and said this year’s was much better.

She had her face painted as a cheetah.

“I wanted to choose an animal because there aren’t a lot of animals here,” she said. “I was thinking about that since last time I was here.”

Froning said she held a snake and wasn’t scared of them at all.

Sophomore marketing major Ondia Butler, president of the Koonce Hall council, said the event was chaotic.

“I think it’s a really good time for the kids,” she said. “I see a lot of Kent students and they’re having a lot of fun.”

Butler said she liked all of the activities the other hall councils sponsored.

“This is where a kid can be a kid,” she said. “It’s really cool activities for the kids to do.”

She said she thought the children were cute as she watched them run around the area.

“They will definitely have stories to tell their parents,” she said.

Contact room and board reporter Noelle Pennyman at [email protected].

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PHOTOS BY KATIE ROUPE