BLUFFTON — It has become a Bluffton University tradition over nearly a decade and on Saturday students once again created a memorable family experience on campus.
The Sommer Center, normally the home of the university’s basketball and volleyball teams, was converted to a fun house, complete with inflatable bounce houses, cornhole, flying discs and even a piñata. The theme from “Superman” piping through the center’s speakers denoted the superhero theme for this year’s event.
“We’re trying to get community members to just come out and celebrate a day for families so they can get to know our community and our school,” according to Jackie Theobald, a senior from Brunswick, who helped organized this year’s event. “We just wanted to make a fun day.”
The superhero theme could be seen throughout the festival, with such touches as a superhero-decorated ball pit and comic book character coloring pages. But one Riley Creek Festival tradition that supersedes all themes is the rubber duck race, which serves as the festival’s main fundraiser. Each rubber duck that participates in the race down Riley Creek, which flows through campus, is sold before the race for $1, and according to Theobald, organizers had raised more than $140 by Saturday afternoon.
“All proceeds get donated to a charity,” she said. “This year, they’re getting donated to Crime Victim Services in Lima.”
Courtney Delp, a junior from Mentor, has greatly enjoyed her experience at Bluffton and was grateful Saturday to celebrate with the surrounding community.
“I came from a huge town, so coming to a small town has been fantastic for me because I’ve been able to come out of my own shell,” she said. “It’s become such a home to me here, and I love everybody here and I want to come back all the time.”
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
