Printable VersionWhile pancakes, shuttle rides and shooting rubber balls might sound like an odd combination in some places — this is Spring Break in Havasu.
 Nathan Bruttell/News-Herald Photos MobileSportsCenters.com manager Andrew Parsley sets up a new inflatable rubber ball shooting game offered in association with a few local church groups to give families and spring breakers a new form of fun this week at London Bridge Beach. Parsley and city officials are considering finding a permanent home for the game in the city. |
“It’s been really good, we’ve had a great response and the kids have been fantastic,” Blythe said. “They’re thrilled we’ve made the attempt to help them out.”
Blythe said local church groups, including First Southern Baptist, Calgary Baptist and Abundant Grace, each brought several volunteers to help serve pancakes in the morning and provide shuttle service at night as a way to offer help, not gospel.
“The idea was to basically feed the spring breakers in the morning so none of them went hungry and give them rides at night so none of them get into trouble or get hurt,” Blythe said. “We’re trying to serve the public, not shove the gospel down their throats. I couldn’t have imagined how well it actually went. And we’re all just happy we could help.”
Blythe’s wife, Nancy, said dozens of community members gathered each morning for several hours to make more than 600 pancakes for the hungry.
“The whole week has been incredible,” she said. “It took a lot of preparation and a lot of great people contributed with a lot of donations. We all came together from several different groups with one goal: To serve the kids and let them know we want them to be safe.”
But food and safe rides home weren’t enough for MobileSportsCenters.com manager Andrew Parsley, who wanted to offer a new kind of fun as well with an inflatable rubber ball shooting game, which is similar to paint ball.
“We got invited to come down with the church group and bring something fun and offer an inexpensive way for them to have a good time during the day,” Parsley said. “We had a good 600 to 700 people come by and it’s been absolutely incredible.”
Parsley said 20 percent of the proceeds during the week went toward the area churches.
“I’ve traveled all over the country with this equipment and the response is always great,” he said. “But it was important to me here because I wanted to give something back for inviting us with this great program.”
But one week wasn’t enough, Parsley said.
“I want to keep this going for a couple more weeks because it’s something that’s beneficial for (spring breakers) and us and beneficial for the church as well,” he said. “Our next step is finding somewhere else in the city to set up because we think we have an untapped market going here.”
The early response from city officials seems to agree.
“There is definitely potential here,” Vice Mayor Don Callahan said after coming out to see the program. “If we can find someone to take this on, on a more permanent basis, I think we could really have something new and fun in Havasu.”
Lake Havasu Hospitality Association Executive Director Greg Tryon said he was thankful local groups have done so much to help out spring breakers and show the community cares.
“I think what the churches are doing is a fantastic thing for these kids … I mean what a phenomenal thing,” he said. “It’s great for our community and it gives a really good name out there to the kids for Lake Havasu. We always want something new and different for the kids. Our goal in this town is obviously to bring the people here, but once they’re here, we also have to give them something fun to do. So this is a great thing for them and for all of us.”
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