Tribal chef Anita Morillo and her team had the grill going full flame with hot dogs and hamburgers. Colorful plastic kiddie wading pools were filled with ice and trays of cut fresh fruit. There was plenty for everyone and many returned for seconds.

Children arrived at the event with towels, goggles and swimsuits under their shorts and tee shirts. Water slide inflatables kept the kids cool on softball Field #1, while the pool and splash pad were open for those that wanted to cool off in other ways. Romell Mojado was happy to dip her feet into the pool as she sat at its edge.

Fourteen members of the Placencia family set up chairs and picnic blankets under the shade of trees near the splash pad so they could watch the younger ones play. They plan one more family vacation to the Lawrence Welk Resort, now known as Hyatt Vacation Club at The Welk, in Escondido before the kids and grandkids head back to school in early August.

DJ Mike Nevarez kept the upbeat tunes spinning to add to the party atmosphere while also taking a break to announce winners of various games and youth raffle prize winners. At least 100 back-to-school items were available to win, from backpacks and insulated lunch boxes to mini treasure chests filled with crayons, colored pencils and other practical goodies.

One of the first games was a Duck Hunt. After being supplied with a bag, the young explorers were told to scour the area for small plastic ducks. Whoever collected the most for each age group was rewarded with a cash prize. It didn’t take long for all the ducks to disappear from their hiding places.

Lucky winners were Milo Arrietta, 0-5 age, who found 62; Noot Medina, 6-8, who collected an astounding 106; Miguel Macias Jr., 9-11, found 43; and Ayashe in the 12-up category discovered 40.

The horseshoe pit was set up next to the oversized tent that kept all the tables shaded for families to visit, eat and regroup after each round of activities. The game was open to all ages and individuals were able to try as many times as they wanted to during the allotted time. The three with the most points by 6:30 were declared the winners. They were Steve Medina, first place, Phil Basquez, second and Anthony Valenzuela. third.

Nic Necochea, who has worked at Parks & Rec for about four years, said the entrants were playing against themselves rather than teams playing against each other. Shannah Medina said she just plays horseshoes for fun at various events. Enrique Medina, 57, joined his granddaughter Rihanna Kashersky, 11, as they both pitched to be among the top scorers to take home some prize money.

Parks and Recreation Activities Director Jennifer Devore Garcia said the department enjoys being able to provide some end-of-the-summer fun, which they have done for the past several years.

“It has really grown over the years; we only had about 100 people at the first one,” she said. “I love seeing the kids have so much fun and being able to provide the back-to-school giveaways.”

At 6 p.m., the Scavenger Hunt began and lasted about 20 minutes before the top three teams finished and won their share of cash prizes. The first place team was Anaye Grant and Clover Swan, second place went to Kali Valenzuela and Jade, and Allen Silvas and Naanat Silvas worked together on the team that finished third. It was the perfect end to a fun-filled day.

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