Photos and Article by Mary Alice Murphy
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., throngs of kids and adults took over Penny Park for the 2014 Red Hot Children's Fiesta. Kids of all ages took part in the many activities, including the planting of the butterfly garden by area 4-H and FFA students. The activity was supported by a PNM Community Grant, with plants provided by Silver Heights Nursery, Country Girls Nursery and Ace Harware. Sarah Wolf of Country Girls did the landscape design. Rohan Stiles of Adobe Techniques set the rock benches and brought red gravel for pathways.à^
The entrances and exits to the park were manned by the Western New Mexico Student Nurses' Association.
The entire event was coordinated by the Grant County Community Health Council, especially through the work of GCCHC Assistant Coordinator Kendra Milligan.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Before and during the fiesta, members of the 4-H and FFA organizations planted a nearby butterfly garden. From left, Sinea Runnells, Bursten Blanton and Sam Dodds were three workers who remained after most of the planting was completed.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Devion Gonzales, 4, put together good-deeds beads at the Girl Scout Booth.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Ella Bertolani, 4, also created good-deeds beads.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Belinda Liny at the Hidalgo Medical Services booth showed kids how to make a BIG bubble.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Kendra Milligan, Grant County Community Health Council assistant coordinator, creates a large bubble.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Cissy McAndrew shows several participants what solar energy could do. Unfortunately, the overcast morning made the demonstration difficult. It worked better in the afternoon when the sun showed up.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Angela Gonzales, Blue Cross Blue Shield Health educator, directs Annabell Jamison, 10, in her creation of a health chart.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Twins Gade and Draven Chubic, 8, pet the pony Cinnamon, as Carmen Hoffman and Tracy Saavedra from Therapeutic Freedom Riders hold the pony.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
At the WNMU Early Childhood booth, Keana Huerta, has her face painted by Samantha Garcia.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
At the Western New Mexico University Early Childhood booth, Viviana Dominguez gets her face painted by Andrea Romero.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
A boy throws a bean bag directly into the target.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Did it go in?
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Kayla Tielking smiles even though she has "ants" crawling across her face.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Idali Marquez, 3, poses with her "buggy" sunglasses made by WNMU students.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Keana Huerta runs around the flare after saying her name and her age in Spanish at the Department of Health Public Health Office booth.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
At the CYFD booth, volunteers, in back, Denise Mathis and Brandi Jimenez, and in front, Angelina Trujillo, Mariah McDonals and Gabrielle Martinez pose for the camera.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Three unidentified kids take off on a sack race.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Aliyah Muniz, 7, shows off the banana bug she made on the table to her right.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Devion Gonzales makes a fossil
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
At the New Mexico Systems of Care booth, Max Johnson, 6, is decorating a stick to put in his plant pot.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Estrella Baz, 5, shows off her decorated pot, where she planted a seed.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Kai Clark, who will be one-year-old next week, digs in the dirt.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Sylvia Myers, 10, makes a paper flower at the Guadalupe Montessori School booth.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Elvisa Maldonado, 11, puts stickers to paper at the Life Quest Early Childhood Intervention booth.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
From top, Raegan Sunchild, Destiny Quintana, and Tyler Sunchild, try out the web at Penny Park.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
It was hard to pull Ryley Quimby, 1, away from the spinner at Penny Park.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Jadyn Madrid, 6, shows off his artistry at the Gila Native Plant Society Booth.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Alex Zamarron, 11, made some moonsand at the Community Partnership for Children booth.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Votes were accepted only from those younger than 21. This photographer was not eligible, but she would have picked the ladybug.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Jayla Thomas, 3, hops through the hoops.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Nick and Haley Perez and Matthew Gaytan are shown in action in the sack race.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Even big kids get into the action. From left, Arturo Gaytan, Abigail Perez and Alicia Gaytan take off in the sack race.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Resting after hours of planting are Srah Wolfe, Sinea Runnells and Samatha Fisher.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Camille Owmack, 20 months, accepts her prize from the Gospel Mission fishing booth.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
ilena Maria Arizaga-Morales, 6, puts the worm on the hook to go fishing.
Red Hot Children's Fiesta 2014
Enrique Luis, Arizaga-Morales, 2, learns how to put a worm on the hook.
