By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The community and campus merged into one Saturday in downtown Bowling Green. Together they flew on ziplines over Main Street, they hoovered whole pies for a good cause, and they moved to music as one.
The annual Rally BG on Main gave the community an opportunity to welcome students to the city, and introduce them to local businesses and townspeople.
The event, hosted by the city and university, provided activities for young and old – all for free. Main Street was closed to traffic from Clay Street on the north to Washington Street on the south.
On the north end of the festivities, students and townspeople strapped into harnesses to ride a zipline stretched down Main Street. On the south end, people tucked into burlap bags to ride a giant slide.
And in between, people played games, met police officers, climbed into fire trucks, posed for caricature artists, meandered into shops, listened to music, and gathered around fire pits to eat and converse.
Three generations of the Skaggs family, from Bowling Green, sat in Adirondack style chairs around one fire pit. This makes the family’s to-do list every year.
“It’s great how the community comes out, seeing Freddie and Frieda Falcon, and seeing all the college students,” said Amy Skaggs, of the middle generation of her family present. Her husband, Patrick Skaggs, is director of campus planning at BGSU.
“It’s a great partnership,” he said as students and townspeople mingled on Main.
The annual rally also gives local officials, like BG Mayor Mike Aspacher and BGSU President Rodney Rogers a chance to show how accessible they are to those living on campus and elsewhere in the community.
Two BGSU freshmen ran to catch up with Rogers on South Main Street. Micah Black, from Pittsburgh, first met Rogers at freshman orientation and then more recently while dining at a downtown restaurant.
“I met him at SamB’s last week,” Black said, adding how “cool” it is that the university president is so accessible.
He was joined by fellow freshmen Libbie Baker and Cameron Schlosser, from Williams County, and John Morrissey, from Toledo.
“I think this is a great event,” Baker said, asking for a group photo with Rogers.
Morrissey was thrilled to ride the zipline downtown and get a birds-eye view of his new home. “It’s amazing. You could see everything – the whole street,” he said.
For the city, the rally was an opportunity to put out the welcome mat for students at the start of the semester.
“It’s the kickoff to the school year – welcoming the students, welcoming the community – showing our commitment to each other,” said Madi Christoff, community affairs coordinator for the city.
Mary Hinkelman agreed with that sentiment. “This is letting the students know we are their community, and they are welcome to it,” she said.
In addition to the giant slide and zipline, there were other activities for those less dare-devilish.
For smaller children, there were bouncy houses, a fire safety house, and a ninja obstacle course. For all ages, there was mini-golf, basketball hoops, cornhole, Jenga, and a chance to get personalized BG or BGSU signs.
Some of the games tugged at the memories of college students – with giant forms of games they played as youth. There was a giant Battleship game, a Guess Who game, plus velcro Connect 4, and Tic Tac Toe.
Though a world away from her home, BGSU student Liz Coatanea, from Paris, was surprised to find games from her childhood – and pleased to get to know her new town.
“I love it,” Coatanea said, pleasantly surprised that the community shut down Main Street for the event. “This is such a nice, cute little town.”
Another group of students said this was their second Rally BG event. As freshmen last year, the event gave them an opportunity to bond with their new roommates.
“It’s just a fun way to see people,” said Abby Garcia.
Maddie Cieslsea recalled dining out at Easy Street Cafe during last year’s rally, creating memories and signing a brick in the restaurant with her new friends.
The rally also gives downtown businesses an opportunity to introduce themselves to students.
Jason Rau, the new owner of Rock Em Sock Em, said his shop was busy all day.
“There is definitely more foot traffic than usual,” he said. And many of those new visitors were calling friends and sending photos and videos of the store’s offerings. “Most people don’t realize we have as much cool stuff as we have.”
Broadwing Tattoo shop on North Main was also seeing more business than usual.
“We are slammed,” said Jax Foster, as they finished up with one customer. Realizing it was a good day to get potential customers in the door, the shop offered 10% off to students for piercings on Saturday. “It’s a good way to get business,” Foster said.
Down on South Main, Floyd Craft of Ben’s was standing on the sidewalk watching the BGSU cheer teams and the Bowling Green High School marching band line up.
“It really gets a lot of kids down here,” Craft said. And making them feel comfortable in their new community makes it more likely they will venture to downtown shops and restaurants during the semester.
For the first time, the rally featured a pie eating contest hosted by Call of the Canyon Cafe, to raise funds for the local non-profit group, Be Better Foundation, which helps at-risk youth.
Eleven people (nine men and two women) competed in the contest to eat an entire deep-dish peanut butter pie – using no utensils and no hands.
Ben Bailey said he prepared for the contest by limiting himself to two fruit cups and applesauce prior to the competition.
Others took no special measures.
“I just treated it like another day,” said Josh Evans.
“Most people call me a human garbage can,” said Bryan Baumbarger.
Joey Davis – not to be confused with hot dog wonder Joey Chestnut – worked a regular eight hour shift, and did a few push ups right before the contest.
Some contestants had cheering sections in the crowd.
Each of the 11 peanut butter pies weighed in ahead of time at just over 2 pounds, said Tim Emmerich, owner of Call of the Canyon with Ardy Gonyer.
A first aid tent, perhaps good planning, was set up right next to the contest which was out on the street in front of the restaurant.
There was no flyover, but the National Anthem was sung, and an invocation offered by First Presbyterian Pastor Jeff Schooley, who blessed the bounty and those about to consume it.
Spectators filled the street to get a good view of the gorging contestants.
The color commentary about the contest was provided by Jerry Anderson and Clint Corpe, and the official judge role was performed by Wood County Common Pleas Judge Matt Reger.
“There’s a lot of smack talk going on, it may get a little nasty,” Corpe cautioned.
The contestants were given five minutes to devour the entire pies.
“The obvious rule is you can’t throw up,” Gonyer warned.
Anderson hyped the event as the “greatest sporting event in the history of Bowling Green,” with the winner getting a year’s supply of free pie from Call of the Canyon.
With that motivation in mind, the contestants buried their heads in the pie tins, soon covering their eyes and filling their nostrils with whipped cream and peanut butter pie.
Well before the five-minute limit, the winner was declared as Nick “Chef” Grames. Grames acknowledged his past victories in a cookie eating contest, and his success at consuming 8 pounds of burger and fries in one sitting. He also noted his family connection with the former Stimmel’s market, and his partnership with the newly opened Grub Guys restaurant in Bowling Green.
“The only thing I know is food,” he said.
