Riders in the Lunar Kanza Ride and Run travel down Road 110 in
rural Lyon County as the sun disappears Saturday night.
Kendra Johnson/Special to the Gazette
TEG
Monday, July 18, 2016
V V V
PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895
V V V
Good Evening
VVV
Let me take you on
a moonlight ride.
WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM
Night Riders
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
It was a beautiful night for a
ride through the Flint Hills, and
275 bike riders did just that.
The Lunar Kanza, a 50-mile fun
ride under the full moon organized
by Dirty Kanza Promotions, took
place on Saturday night.
“We thought there might be
rain, but it is a beautiful night,”
LaRhon Walker, Dirty Kanza Promotions intern, said. “Look at all
these people out here enjoying it.
It is actually going really well.”
Walker said a number of
participants registered on Saturday
right before the event began. The last
Kendra Johnson/Special to the Gazette
Please see Lunar Kanza, Page 8
Twinkies Festival aSweet sucCess
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
It was a sweet celebration in
honor of Emporia’s sweetest treat.
The Fourth Annual Twinkies Festival on Saturday was a delicious
success.
The morning started off with
a 5K run won by Asher Delmont,
who even took a detour through
the Twinkie Tunnel. Arturo Leal
took second place and Hugo Escobar came in third.
This year was the debut of the
box car derby for local children.
Sutherland’s sold box car kits that
children put together to race on
Saturday morning. Many children,
like Mussa English received a little
help from older family members
with construction.
“My grandpa and I built the car
together,” Mussa said. “It was fun.”
Children raced their cars along
the track built in the Flinthills
Mall parking lot, lined with bales
of straw in case they veered off
course. Fans in the stands cheered
for their favorite racers and parents waited at the finish line to
help their children pull their cars
back up the hill.
“We are here cheering on my
nephew,” Nancy DePriest of Emporia said. “When my dad was a
kid he would race in the box car
derby. He was thrilled to help my
nephew build his car and we all are
looking forward to seeing how well
it races.”
Claire Starr claimed first place
in the 5 - 8-year-old division and
Blake Mosley took home first in
the 9 - 12-year-old division. All the
children received a box car derby
teeshirt and bragging rights that
they competed in the first ever
Twinkies Festival Box Car Derby.
The Twinkie Eating Contest is
always a fan favorite and this year
was no exception. Children competing in the event were given a
plate of six unwrapped Twinkies to
consume as fast as possible while
adults were given 10 wrapped
Twinkies to devour.
MaKayla Mercer claimed
first place in the youth division
by consuming her six Twinkies
Please see Festival, Page 8
Jan Buckman/Special to the Gazette
Twinkie the Kid is in demand to have pictures taken with him.
Jan Buckman/Special to the Gazette
VOL. 125, NO. 14
Contestants in the adult Twinkie Eating Contest try to see who
can eat the most of the spongey, sugary treat.
Jan Buckman/Special to the Gazette
Trenton Ziegler participates in the boxcar derby during the
Twinkie Festival on Saturday.