By Alan Van Ormer
Tribune editor

At least four Dell Rapids youth were not going to miss a thing at the 90th annual Cootie Days at the Dell Rapids City Park on Friday and Saturday.
Haley Donaldson, 13, Ryan Donaldson, 11, Siera Brewer, 11 and Amy Stoltenburg, 11, were sitting on a small hill almost ½ hour before the first ride open to make sure that they got onto the ride. In fact, they had all agreed to do the octopus, bullet, scrambler and tilt-a-wheel, all in that order.
Ryan Donaldson said he was there because his friends were they. “Cootie Days is so cool,” he said. “I have been here a lot of years. Every time it comes here, I really enjoy it.”
Stoltenburg said that all four rides are really fun to go on. “The bullet really scares me more than the other,” she said. “It goes up in the air and tilts upside down.”
Those were just four of the rides that were part of Cootie Days. The event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Post #65 American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. It included rides, concession stands, Bingo and food, as well as a raffle for cash prizes.
Moms and dads were also out in the city park enjoying all the festivities.
Winning cash from the raffle were the following: Greg Huewe, $250; Jerry Fox, $100; Larry Hovde, $50; and Jayden Sagness, Kelly Brown, Norman Hauglid, David Mousel, Brad Parker, Carol Johnson, Don Knutson and Eloise Skatvold, each receiving $25.
Nikki Verlinde, who brought her four-year-old son, Cameron, from Trent for the first time, took a ride on the tilt-a-whirl with the youngster. “I have never been here before,” she said. “He is just excited.”
Darcie Kringen brought three children and none of them could wait to get started. “It is great to have this in town,” she said. “The kids have been so excited, waiting patiently for it to open.”