This picture shows the kids having lots of fun at the water balloon fight at the end. You can see Jamie Hunt from Oakwood elementary who breaks the balloon over Deputy Nick Mendez.
On Monday, July 31. Lots of young people with Sheriff Deputy Nick Mendez and several area Dare program sponsors work to have a fun kids day at the Paulding LaFountain Park. This event went on all day long starting at 10:00 in the morning and going till 3:30 in the afternoon. All kinds of games with the kids and concluding with games of tug-of-war, three legged race, hula hoop race, and several others. The final event was with a water balloon and water gun fight. They all had a blast!!
The kids had a whole lotta fun the whole day long it was beautiful and nice but hot just for this kind of fun event. According to Nick Mendez the purpose is to “keep young people in a positive safe environment where they can have fun respect and responsibility without drugs.”
There were over 30 kids at the event on Monday all having a whole lots of fun. With sponsors from Van Wert, Allen County (OH) and Lima including the United Way there was 7 to 8 volunteers who all helped make this possible. Nick said that he would next year love to have a camp over a three day period. That way the kids can be more involved for a longer period without taking as much time when they’re exhausted.
Clearly on this day the girls were winning with having about a third more in attendance than the boys. The girls took the hula hoop contest easily and then also took the victory on tug-of-war 2 to 1 after 3 battles.
Great job to the Paulding County Sheriffs Office for leading the DARE program to help prevent the drug problem when the kids are young. Drugs have become a major problem nationwide after canceling the DARE programs in many places. Paulding has revived their program and it seems to be working quite well with the young people.
