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COMMERCIAL NEWS (Danville, Illinois) 15 June 03 Turtles put on racing shoes for charity
Danville: Despite the rain Saturday afternoon, the crowd at the 39th annual Turtle Races remained in high spirits.
Marie Cotton of Danville hadn't been to the races for several years, but decided to bring her 7-year-old great-granddaughter Chasiti this year.
Chasiti counted down out loud from 10 to 1 with the announcer at the start of each turtle race and cheered on the turtles.
"I think he's going to win," she said as she pointed to the turtle in the ring closest to her. Eight turtles competed in each race at the Knights of Columbus.
Cotton said the Turtle Races is a fun event for families.
It also raises money for a good cause. Last year $10,300 was raised for local charities to benefit handicapped children.
Event organizer Nadine Schramm, who's also affectionately known as "Mother Turtle," said she wasn't expecting the rainy weather, but she was hopeful the crowds still would come out for the event.
Normally the event sees thousands of people.
"Everybody hears about it," Schramm said of the races. "As the day goes on, families have a real good time."
Two of those people having a fun time were Jami Kennel of Des Moines, Iowa, and Carrie Jackson of Normal.
Kennel's grandfather lives in Danville and helps set up the event. This is the second time she's been to the Turtle Races.
"It's fun. There's nothing like this in Des Moines," she said.
This was Jackson's first time at the event. She was hanging out with friends and family.
She said her friends have been telling her to come to the Turtle Races.
"I love it. It's great," she said. "Every town should have Turtle Races."
Jackson said when she told co-workers she was going to the Turtle Races Saturday, they asked her if there were little jockeys to go along with the turtles.
Early on in the approximately 30 races of the day, Jackson already had bet on a winner.
Some of the early winning turtles were named Shooting Star, Post 51 and Signs and Designs.
With a name tag that read "Cosmo" and a microphone in his hand, it was the job of announcer Randy Holman of Georgetown to get the crowd pumped up for the races.
Holman, who said he'd been a ring announcer for "a long time," said he just has a lot of fun with the event.
"It's like a reunion every year," he said.
Turtles put on racing shoes for charity

This particular race raises quite a bit of money for the community...now the bad side. Each Spring, locals are encouraged to collect eastern box turtles from the wild. These box turtles are all brought to a bar where they are maintained in an outdoor pen. After the race they are released...wherever! Sometimes they are taken acroos state line into Indiana. Removing box turtles from the wild and gathering them in one location...crowding them (stress)...and releasing them wherever...is probably not the best thing for the turtles, especially during the time they are supposed to be breeding and laying their eggs. I am still not sure how they get around Illinois law...which prohibits having more than 16 in possesssion. Just my thoughts...Ray

The one where they put the turtles on hot pavement to get them to run? That made me sick.

Andrew Myers

When I went, five years ago, they raced the turtles on grass. Since then, they have changed the race location. Not sure how it is set up now. ray