Inaugural block party raises $2,500

About 400 turn out for food, fun and games

The Grateful to be Alive Block Party hosted by Hometown Family Medicine, Ritzville Drug Company and The Ritzville Adams County Journal to celebrate healthy living proved to be successful as an estimated 400 community members attended the event.

A rough count indicated that $2,500 had been raised to support the Relay For Life of Ritzville event next week.

The money raised at the Block Party is donated to the American Cancer Society to help fund cancer research and expand the amount of programs offered to cancer survivors and those undergoing treatment.

Coordinators of the event were pleasantly surprised by the amount of those in attendance and the money raised. Both numbers exceeded expectations and the group is meeting to begin scheduling a party for next year, in hopes of making the block party an annual event.

Garrett Bartley performed during the four-hour afternoon event and enjoyed the opportunity to play in his hometown. Bartley and his band have agreed to perform during a portion of the Relay For Life of Ritzville event on July 13-14.

Aside from Bartley, the main entertainment provided at the event was for children, and the tropical bounce castle rented for the event was continually filled with enthusiastic youth.

The bounce castle remained free of charge and children had the opportunity to bounce, climb a rock wall and slide back out into the festival.

Mike Telecky provided delicious barbequed foods to those in attendance and more food had to be brought in because of the amount of community members who showed up to support the event. Telecky cooked a variety of foods including chicken, sausage, hot dogs and baked beans.

At the end of the food line, fresh fruit smoothies and cotton candy were provided free of charge, and both were equally popular.

Carnival games provided entertainment for youth and served as a family bonding experience for many there. Children who participated in a game received a prize for their efforts.

Children had the chance to have their face painted or play a variety of games, including balloon pop, duck pond, Plinko, spin wheel and the fishing game. A small group of junior high students could be seen playing basketball at the hoop set up at the event, and used it as practice for Hoopfest the next morning.

Don Saunders dressed as a clown and handed out balloons to children wandering the Railroad Avenue block.

The event attracted the attention of more than just local individuals as a few new faces could be seen drifting through the crowd. A group of Seattle residents had stopped for gas in Ritzville on their way to Hoopfest and saw a flyer for the event and joined the local community for an afternoon of fun.

The weather remained warm and pleasant throughout the afternoon, helping to keep everybody in lively spirits. All of the coordinators and volunteers at the event wore “Grateful to be Alive” tie-dyed t-shirts during the afternoon to stand out in the crowd.

T-shirts are available for purchase and can be ordered at by contacting The Journal or Ritzville Drug Co. Shirts are $20 each and pre-payment is required.

Orders must be placed by Monday, July 16 and the order form will be available during the Relay event at the Ritzville High School track.

During the block party, individuals had the chance to enter a raffle for a 32-inch flat panel television. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased for $5 at The Journal office and the winner will be announced at the Relay event.