We gratefully remember and honor all those who sacrificed their lives for our country.

Thanks to all those budding authors who participated in our Pet Story Writing Contest! The essays were fantastic, and the judges enjoyed each and every one. So, now for your reading pleasure, we thought we’d feature our first prize winning story by Sara S.

Enjoy!

Hit Berry, the Horse

My horse is a mare and a bay, she has a red body and a black mane and tail. Every weekend I put glitter on her, from her point of view it’s a torture.  I always like to ride her, but after I got bucked off I’m as scared as a colt when she shoots around like a torpedo. My horse likes other horses, one named Buster lives across the street; she and Buster seem to really like each other. Hit Berry doesn’t like it when we feed her late, when we do though she has a humongous hissy fit. She lies down, bucks, rears, and kicks. It’s hilarious to watch her do it. Even though she’s very old she acts like a colt. She has a lot of energy but she preserves it all until someone gets on her. It’s fun to ride her, but she can race a quarter mile without having to take a break. She can run very fast when she wants to. She looks like a decorated race horse when she gallops around like an out of control colt.  For my eighth birthday I received a beautiful western saddle, bridle, and helmet, set. The saddle storage room a.k.a tack room is very full of stuff like bridles, bits, helmets, saddles, and books. Her favorite treat is parsley. She also adores carrots; it’s funny though because she hates apples. I try to give her apples, sometimes she eats them and sometimes she doesn’t. When I give her grain she spits out all the water I put in her grain tub and only eats the oats. Sometimes she wears the hay I give her and she looks like a green monster. I call her Rose because when she curls up she looks like a rose. Unlike most quarter horses, she lays down most of the time. Except at feeding time, when she’s shooting around like a torpedo and when I ride her, which is almost every weekend. She has a fly mask that she doesn’t like to wear. She can’t see as well through the tiny little holes that help keep the flies off her huge head. She has a very big head, but sometimes I like to think that her brain was so tiny it slid right out of her head, out of her ear to be precise. I love her because she is beautiful and nice. Sometimes I like to imagine she has secret meetings with other horses at night. She’s very adorable. I fell in love with her the day I met her. She was so cute when she looked at me with her gigantic brown eyes. I think she’s the most loveable creature on the planet earth. Apart from being beautiful, she’s semi-smart, once I tricked her so she would follow me, and then the next day she stepped on my foot. She’s tricky also, when my dad feeds her in the morning for example, later when I come out she whinnies in a way that says feed me I’m still hungry. She can be tough, but she is very lovable.

By Sara S.
Age: 9

Mark your calendars, folks! The 9th Annual International Kids Festival will take place in William Land Park on May 25th. The festival is put on by Russian American Media and is free to the public. There’ll be all sorts of fun activities for everyone in the family. Live entertainment, face painting, jump houses, and more. In fact, we’ll have a booth there ourselves, complete with spinning wheel and prizes. And, who knows, you may catch a glimpse of our mascot Happy the Squirrel as well.  He loves trees and parks and fun! So we hope to see you sometime Saturday the 25th at the Festival or the park or both!

9th Annual International Kids Festival
William Land Park
10am – 4pm

And don’t forget we’re open 7 days a week now, and the weather has been fantastic for  some uproarious riding fun! Come early and hang out all day, or come after 3 pm and take advantage of our After School Special. Either way, we’ll be happy to see you!

Our Summer Hours:
Mon–Fri        11am – 5pm
Sat. & Sun    10am – 6pm

**Today is the last day for Pet Story submissions. So if you’ve got a little writer with a story to tell, now’s the time to get him/her weaving! Submissions are easy and will be accepted until midnight tonight.

Meet Hank Gibbs. A typical elevenyear old from the Sacramento area; He likes to play sports, get good grades, play drums, and visit his favorite amusement park, Funderland. What you may not know about Hank is that he is diagnosed with an incredibly rare and incurable auto immune disease, Parry Romberg Syndrome that will cause half of his face to “waste” away. While there currently is not a cure for this disease there are medical procedures available to help slow the process.  Unfortunately these procedures can be quite costly, and burdensome for the Gibbs family. So the “Hope for Hank” fundraiser was established to help the Gibbs family cover the increasing medical costs that they incur due to trying to undo the damage that Parry Romberg Syndrome has caused Hank.

Hope for Hank will take place on Friday, May 10, 2013 at Funderland Amusement Park and will be open to the public.  Unlimited riding will be offered for only $5 per person from 5pm until 8pm, and all proceeds will be given to Hank for his upcoming surgery. In addition there will be a silent auction, carnival games, face painting and more during the event.

Again, 100% of all ticket, auction, and face painting sales raised during this event will go toward the Helping Hands for Hank trust fund that will provide Hank Gibbs the opportunity to receive care to treat his rare and progressive auto immune disease. So come visit Funderland on May 10^th to have a great time, and help Hank in his battle with Parry Romberg Syndrome.

For more information on Hank Gibbs and Parry Romberg Syndrome please visit www.Helpinghandsforhank.webs.com 

The month of May not only brings flowers, it brings full-time Funderland fun! Starting this month we’re open 7 days a week. So if Monday’s got you down or Tuesday’s a drag, come to the park and take a spin with the kids. And, of course, when you’re feeling footloose and fancy free on Friday, you can do the same! You’ve got 7 days to choose from, so choose wisely and choose often!

Our Summer Hours:
Mon–Fri      11am – 5pm
Sat. & Sun  10am – 6pm

Plus, we’ve got an After School Special running in May. Monday through Friday between 3 pm and 5 pm you can purchase a Weekday Wristband for only $7.95 (that’s half off the regular price). So if you’re wondering what to do with all that after school energy, bring the kids to the park and let them ride and romp around for a couple of hours. It’ll do everyone a world of good!

Other notable events for your May calendar:

Hope for Hank Fundraiser
May 10th, 5pm – 8pm
Bring the whole family to Funderland Friday, May 10th, for an evening of fun, and help Hank in the fight against Parry Romberg Syndrome. $5 wristbands, games, face painting, and more! For more information about Hank and PRS, click here.

Mother’s Day
May 12th
Moms ride FREE all day Mother’s Day, so treat yourself and the kids!

That’s right, folks, our After School Special is back by popular demand!

We realize money is tight these days, and opportunities for family fun and adventure are limited. So starting today, May 1, you can purchase weekday wristbands after 3 pm for only $7.95 – that’s half off the regular price!

So take advantage of the super savings, nice weather, and long afternoons and visit the park after school today!

The After School Special runs May 1 – June 14, 2013, Monday – Friday, from 3 pm – 5 pm.

And don’t forget about our Mother’s Day Special on May 12th. Moms get to ride FREE all day! What can we say? We love the month of May!

We look forward to seeing you in the park soon!!