Rain Couldn't Dampen Spirits at Mother-Son Campout

Friday was the City's first annual Mother-Son Campout, and luckily, the rain held out long enough for all the planned activities to take place.

Families trickled in to Van Dyck Park between 5 and 6 p.m. to set up their tents in the large clearing, and their folding chairs around the makeshift fire pit.

Hamburgers and hot dogs hit the grill at 6, alongside big bowls of potato salad, fruit and chips. Mayor Scott Silverthorne popped by to eat dinner with the families and enjoy a few tosses of the softball with some of the boys.

To work off dinner, staff from the Parks and Recreation Department led activities such as kickball, basketball and a mother-son obstacle course.

Then, it was time to relax around the fire with plenty of good, old-fashioned smores, and a performance by professional storyteller Bill Mayhew.

A little after 9 p.m. the first few bursts of lightning were spotted in the skies overhead, so everyone walked over to the Sherwood Community Center next door, where Mayhew told several more stories and then the staff treated everyone to a movie on the large projection screen while many waited out the storm.

Despite the storm crashing the party, spirits were high and all seemed to have a great time.

Leslie Herman, events and facilities superintendent for the Parks and Recreation Department, said she was very pleased with the turnout and with everyone's enthusiasm.

Herman said, the idea for the event came about because, with the success of the City's annual Father-Daughter Dance around Father's Day each year, many had expressed interest in some sort of special event for mothers and sons.

View highlights from the evening's fun in our PatchClips video above!

What do you think of the Mother-Son Campout? Tell us in the comments.

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