County Children Fall for Snow--Even If It’s Snow That Didn’t Fall

‘Some of these kids have never seen snow before.’ --Bob Conn,park ranger

The snowmen took on a grittier and sootier appearance as the morning wore on, and mud stains on play clothes were more of a problem than snowball injuries Saturday at snow-covered Craig Regional Park.

The sun was out in Orange County and made for a warm day. But in the middle of the park in Fullerton, 50 tons of snow had been piled thick and high for children to toboggan on, play in and slip and slide on for the Easter Seals Fifth Annual Winter Wonderland.

It was artificially produced snow, of course, but that didn’t seem to matter.

Children bundled up in sweaters, jackets and thick waterproof gloves clambered over park slopes alongside perspiring parents.

For $1, children got the backs of their hands stamped, entitling them to the run of the snow play areas for the entire day. By the looks of the long lines winding around most of the attractions, the stamp might as well have been an E ticket at Disneyland.

Never Seen Snow

“Some of these kids have never seen snow before,” said park ranger Bob Conn.

Well, many of them had. Three-year-old Contessa Mensink, for example, who squealed as she and her father swooshed down a slope in a red plastic toboggan, and almost fell over before they came to a sudden stop where the snow met the soil.

“The last time she saw snow? Let’s see, that was in Switzerland,” said the father, Henk Mensink of Santa Ana.

“She was only 3 months old then,” said his wife, Linda. “I was thinking of the Grand Canyon. She was a year and a half then.”

Christin Foreman, development director for Easter Seals of Orange County, said an army of volunteers had helped put together her organization’s most successful fund-raising event.

“It started out as just for disabled children, but it became just so popular that it’s grown to this,” she said, nodding at the throngs of parents waiting patiently to get into one “passive play” area.

There were clowns and young volunteers and park rangers and others to lend a hand. Disabled children were given special help to board toboggans.

Limited to 10 Minutes

Those entering the passive play area, set up for disabled children and others under 6 years, were limited to 10 minutes because of long lines. The children could romp in the snow, make snowmen or do whatever else children do in snow.

Except throw snowballs.

“No snowball throwing,” a park ranger shouted through a loudspeaker as one small boy held a hard-packed snowball in his fist, aimed at his brother. “The snow is hard, and it can cause injuries.”

The boy smiled and dropped the snowball.

Tinier children threw themselves on the snow, wallowing in the white grainy substance.

“She loved it,” said Gloria Arricaberri, who was holding the hand of her 1-year-old granddaughter Sara when their 10 minutes were up. “Did you see how I had to drag her out?”

“She loved it so much, she was eating it,” said Sara’s aunt, Michelle Arricaberri.