By CARMEN LINDSEY

carmen.lindsey@gaflnews.com

CORDELE — Today, 53 Crisp County 4-H’ers will take a trip to Wild Adventures Theme Park near Valdosta for participating in the recent Area Project Achievement competition at Turner County High School in Ashburn and the Southwest District Project Achievement competition at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton.

Thirty-three 5-6 grade Cloverleaf 4-H’ers vied in Ashburn and 29 senior and junior 4-H’ers in grades 7-12 contended in Eatonton.

According to Cheri Whitehurst, Crisp County 4-H agent, both APA and DPA are public speaking competitions in which the students make a presentation in a large number of projects. Various categories included air science, ocean egology, paleontology, veterinary science and others.

Amidst excitement and beams of youth, Crisp 4-H’ers loaded on a 65-passenger school bus at approximately 8:30 a.m. They will return around 7 p.m. Some of them have not been to the park since it reopened in early March.

The park closed at the beginning of the year for ride repairs, cleaning and landscaping after Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation bought it from founder and former owner Kent Buescher last September for $34.5 million.

Joel Manby is the corporation’s president and CEO. Bob Montgomery has since taken over operations for Wild Adventures as its new general manager.

“This is a reward trip for competing at DPA and APA,” says Whitehurst, who adds that 4-H’ers can go anywhere they want inside the theme park as long as they are in groups.

“Many of them have already expressed a desire to ride the Rattler,” she says. “It will be a fun time.”

The Rattler is the first new ride at Wild Adventures in three years. The ride can hold 24 people, lasts for over two minutes, is six stories high and goes through a 240-degree arc while spinning on its axis.

But the Rattler isn’t the only ride available. Some of them may ride the Cheetah, Tasmanian River Rapids or the Yo-Yo. The red rat snack, west African crowned crane, giraffe, and Grant and Chapman zebras are just a few of the animals attractions at the park.

On a special note, Whitehurst will give 4-H’ers a surprise announcement before they depart for Wild Adventures.

Four-H inspired the third best-selling ice cream in the United States, Blue Bell Creameries, to introduce their newest flavor—Centennial Cupcake—in honor of more than 100 years of 4-H youth development programming.