The Day of Down-and-Dirty (Photostory)
On Saturday, May 21, Down-and-Dirty made its comeback to Dallastown. The day-long event consisted of several heats of teams who participated in ten events set up around the soccer fields, including a mud pit, a slip-and-slide, Jenga, and more.
Each team was against another team, trying to beat them in the events. Whichever team won the most obstacles at the end was the winner. A separate prize was also awarded to the best-dressed team of each heat.
Even with the extreme heat of the day, there were still many spectators there to watch and take part in the fun. Along with the main course, food trucks like Sweet Willows and Bricker’s French Fries were there for everyone to enjoy.
Down-and-Dirty last took place in 2018 but ended due to the retirement of Pat McKinney, who was previously in charge. After four years of students begging for it to come back, the Dallastown Cat Pack program decided to put the event on again.
Cat Packs is a program that gives students access to food when not at school by sending home backpacks full of non-perishable foods. All the funds raised at Down-and-Dirty benefitted this program and the students. For more information on Cat Packs and what they do, read the article titled “Backpack to Cat Pack”.
“We have very minimal operational expenses, so aside from those, all our funds go to purchasing groceries for Dallastown students,” Cat Packs president Emily Lauer said.
There were tons of volunteers helping behind the scenes to make the event a success. Programs like the National Honors Society and the Dallastown wrestling team, along with individual volunteers aided in setting up on the morning of and tearing down afterward.
There was a lot of great feedback from the community about the event. Down-and-Dirty was a favorite of previous Dallastown students and this year didn’t disappoint.
“I had a lot of fun and enjoyed participating and I hope to do it again next year,” says sophomore Olivia Brenneman.
As of now, Cat Packs plans on making Down-and-Dirty an annual tradition just like it used to be. Although there may be little changes, everyone can plan on participating in the fun again next year.
Your donation will support the student journalists of Dallastown Area High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.