Next Saturday, Duckworth Park will be host to a fun-filled event that will include water gun games, a kickball tournament, a cook-off and more.
The Put the Guns Down and Pick Up the Super Soakers Back 2 School event will be all-day affair July 24 that begins at noon. Marion County Peaceful People for Justice and Equality, who put on the event previously but had to skip 2020 because of the pandemic, is once again putting the event on.
This year will be the biggest in the event’s history with food vendors, business vendors, a school supplies drive and more people volunteering than ever before. There will also be barbers and beauticians offering free haircuts for children going back to school, according to Organizer Angela Ratliff.
“It’s going to be a very fun event,” Ratliff said. “We’re going to have Super Soakers, which are the bigger guns filled up with water. We’re going to have water balloons, the kickball tournament and more.”
Ratliff said several black-owned businesses are donating school supplies and food, and all donations are welcome.
“We will be asking local churches to donate as well. We’re not turning down any donations, whether they are $5 cash donations, school supplies or whatever it is people can help us with,” she said. “It’s all about getting our children to understand that violence is not the way.”
Entry fees include $50 for food vendors, $25 for business vendors, $25 for the cook-off and $10 to participate in the kickball tournament. All funds raised will go towards providing children with back-to-school necessities such as notebooks, pens, pencils, binders, uniforms, etc.
A trophy will be given to the winner of the cook-off, which is sure to deliver tasty food.
