Community Corner
Camels Prevail Despite Hairy Conditions
Fenton Area Optimist Club's 2011 Camel Races bring in more than 300 people.
Sleet, snow and some scary, slippery roads did not stop more than 300 people from having fun at the 2011 Camel Races at in Fenton on Saturday night.
The popular annual event is the biggest fundraiser for the which uses the money raised to pay for various projects aimed at helping middle and high school students in the , and Linden public school districts.
The 2011 event kicked off the club's newest program called "Threads for Kids," aimed at collecting gently used jeans, coats, T-shirts, socks and gym shoes for middle school students throughout the year.
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The theme for this year's races was "the '80s," so the likes of Madonna, Mr. T and other celebrities of the decade were the order of the evening. Twenty-four camels take part in the races. They are purchased by participants, who dress their camels - and themselves - according to theme.
The camels are actually 4- by 8-foot plywood camel cutouts. Guests buy "Camel Bucks," which are used to bet on the races. The camels are placed on tracks and moved forward (or raced) by the number of places from the results of the throw of two big fuzzy dice.
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In addition to the races, 50/50 raffles, raffles for prizes and drawings for gifts donated by area merchants took place throughout the evening.
The races have become so popular that some businesses, like Chevrolet, Inc., Contour Fabricators, Inc. and to name a few, purchase multiple tables of eight to provide employees and friends with an evening of fun and fellowship.
Other businesses participating included , , the , Fenton Insurance Group, , and many more.
John Taylor of served as emcee. Dinner was catered by Spring Meadows Country Club, while guests brought their own adult beverages.
Although the numbers are not yet in, Holly Pingatore of The State Bank, club member and chair of the Camel Races Committee, said, "This was our best year ever."
Councilman Ben Smith and his wife, Cherie, participated for the second year in a row. They liked it so much last year that Cherie actually joined the club the following week.
"We had a blast," she said. "It was a great time."
