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| Photo taken by Amanda August of the Daily Item |
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Pennsylvania German Society will toss salad, iron, elk near Danville on Saturday
MOORESBURG — There’s a place where people dress in German outfits and throw elks around for fun and trophies.
The adults toss a fairly large elk, often made of wood and stuffing, while kids throw a much smaller creature.
They come to the Elk Toss “because they have a good time while raising money for great organizations,” said organizer Karl Shellenberger.
“It also helps that there are not many other outdoor events in February to conflict with the Elk Toss,” he said.
The tossing, along with other events, and an auction to benefit nonprofit organizations, will be held Saturday at the Van Wagner farm, near Mooresburg.
Opening ceremonies are planned to start at 11:30 a.m., followed by events including elk bugling, a scrap iron toss, a salad toss, a block shoot, a beard contest and a skateboard/scooter competition for kids.
“This will be the second year for the skateboard/scooter competition which was really popular with the kids last year,” he said.
The auction will be held between events with proceeds going this year to The Gate House shelter for the homeless in Danville, Easter Seals of Central Pennsylvania and the Catholic Worker House of Lancaster.
Those attending are asked to bring cans and other nonperishable food items to be given to the Danville-Riverside Food Bank.
They are also asked to bring laundry detergent to donate to the Good Samaritan Mission of Danville.
Items for the auction are needed. Organizers are asking for articles people think someone would actually want to buy.
Food will be pot-luck with visitors sharing what they bring to the farm. Participants are asked to tote their own drinking vessel and their own beverages since organizers didn’t get as many donations from local breweries as in past years so they are asking that this year be partially BYOB.
Feel free to dress up in your best German or Pennsylvania Dutch outfit, according to Shellenberger.
The elk tossing will start at 4 p.m., followed by more auctions of items.
The group plans to be at the Pine Barn Inn by 7 p.m.
Wagner, the Brothers McMonagle and Fred Iobst will entertain starting at 8 p.m. at Old Forge Brewing Co., on Mill Street.
Shellenberger said the elk toss crowd seems to be constant at 100 to 150 depending upon the weather. “Our meteorological sources are predicting better weather this year when compared to the past few years. And being our 75th year, we are hoping this is our best ever,” he said.
Funny, he and the Danville German Society seem to say that every year is their 75th year.
Most people attend from Pennsylvania which includes Danville, Lewisburg, Shamokin, Sunbury and Northumberland areas.
They have had sizable contingents from Lancaster and State College and some people have traveled from as far as Boston and South Carolina.
1 comment:
Comment from a former attendee on facebook: "I love this article; it captures fully the pageantry and history of this legendary community tradition. Congratulations on 75 years of elk tossing. This photo is also one of the greatest photos in history."
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