Sledding with imagination

Northwood Children’s Services invites community to create fun, cardboard-box sleds and slide down Ridgeview Country Club’s hills during first-ever ‘Art Sled Rally’ on Feb. 9.

If you’ve ever dreamed of making a cardboard box look like a giant crayon box and also dreamed of wearing colorful, pointy hats so that the people piling inside the box resembled large crayons — and who hasn’t done that? — and then topped off the dream by having everyone slide down a snow-covered hill in that box, then you should register to be part of Northwood Children’s Services’ first-ever Art Sled Rally.

Northwood has sent teams of kids to Art Sled Rallies in the Twin Cities in the past, and they had so much fun they decided to hold their own event and include the community this year on Ridgeview Country Club’s hills, at 714 W. Redwing St., Duluth.

The event is open to kids, families, church groups, schools, businesses and anyone else who wants to have a lot of wintertime fun. An “art sled” is any kind of sled that starts as a cardboard box and is decorated to be whatever you want. It could be a large hot dog or a fruitcake or a Rubik’s cube. The only limit is entrants’ imagination.

Once it’s built, as many sled riders as you wish can pile into the box and slide down the hill. There are different categories, so everyone can have fun. There are two “fastest sled” categories, one for kids 12 and younger, and the other for entrants 13 and older. Those not very fast might win the Best in Show or Great Spirit categories. Business teams can also enter the Corporate Challenge category for best business representation. Awards will be presented in all categories.

Entry fee is $25 per team or $50 per business team, and all proceeds help fund programs at Northwood Children’s Services. Entry deadline is Feb. 6.

Or, just go to Ridgeview and watch. Sledding begins at 11 a.m., with the awards ceremony at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit northwoodchildren.org or contact Kathleen Wolleat at 218-728-7196 or kwolleat@northwoodchildren.org.

The event is sponsored by SYSCO Minnesota, Comfort Systems, Arrowhead Printing and Out There Advertising.

Tags: community, entertainment, events