JEFFERSON — When Mandy Schueren and her little sister Emily searched for the longest and fattest zucchini they could find, they had something other than eating them in mind.
These sisters, from Perry, had a strategy, because when you take a long, fat zucchini and put a set of wheels on it, you get a lean, mean, racing machine.
Mandy, 6, and Emily, 3, participated in the Jefferson Farmers’ Market 2nd Annual Zucchini 500 Friday afternoon. Twenty other participants, in six different age categories, joined the Schueren sisters in this unique event, where the participants decorate ordinary zucchini and launch them down a ramp to see which can go the longest distance.
Mandy and Emily’s strategy of finding a long and fat zucchini seemed to work because both girls took first place in their divisions, and Mandy’s zucchini won first overall for the longest distance.
“I think that’s why I won,” Mandy said.
The girls both had a lot of fun with the race. They decorated their vegetables with little flags and colored Popsicle sticks. Mandy said her favorite part of the race was when she won. Emily was pretty excited too, to win a prize.
“My favorite part was when my zucchini went all the way down the ramp,” she said.
In its second year, the event came about when one of the market organizers saw a similar event at another market.
“It’s a way to have some fun,” said Susan Masirovits, market manager.
The event drew a larger crowd this year and more than doubled the number of participants from last year.
“Everybody was studying their aerodynamics,” she said. “Some were going down skinny end first and some were going down big end first. Some were heavy and some were light.”
Prizes were awarded for the winners in each division. First place in each division received a $2 voucher to spend at the market and runners up received a $1 voucher. The overall winner for the longest distance received a $3 voucher and the overall winner for the shortest distance also received a $3 voucher.
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Related Photos
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MEAGEN HOWE of Cleveland, releases her zucchini during races in Jefferson Friday afternoon. WARREN DILLAWAY
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Evan Howe of Cleveland, releases his zucchini during races in Jefferson Friday afternoon. WARREN DILLAWAY
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