Hundreds attend Kids' Fest in Rockville Centre

A 6-year-old boy was injured at the annual Kids’ Fest open house last Saturday when he was hit by a canopy blown about by gusts from a helicopter landing in the Recreation Center parking lot.

According to Rockville Centre Police Inspector Glenn Quinn, the boy, whom Quinn did not identify, was rushed to Mercy Medical Center by the village Fire Department, and had lacerations on his forehead and possible bruises. “It was a sort of freakish thing,” Quinn said.

The Nassau County helicopter, which drew a large audience of festival attendees, kicked up papers and dust as it flew overhead, forcing most onlookers to cover their eyes.

Village spokesman Jeff Kluewer said there would be an investigation into the incident.

Aside from the injury, the Kids’ Fest went smoothly, with representatives from the military and emergency services headlining the festival, entertaining and teaching parents and children alike about their respective roles.

The Lions Club performed the Duck Pluck, raising funds to combat diabetes, and other village organizations, including the lacrosse, basketball and baseball leagues, sent representatives to register new members.

There was also a bake sale to end childhood hunger in America as well as music, rides and refreshments.

The Long Island Bombers, a team of blind and visually impaired baseball players, faced off against the Senior League Bobcats.

Soldiers from the Second Battalion, 25th Marines Infantry Unit, in Garden City, drew a large audience with their display of two high-mobility, multipurpose- wheeled vehicles, better known as humvees, and a number of machine guns.

Among the emergency responders who took part were Special Operations Police, who showed off specialized armor and a battering ram, and village firefighters, who displayed two of their trucks.

Other exhibits at the fair included an 8-foot-long male python that, according to its handler, is not quite as long as a female, and an impromptu karate performance by the Shaolin Self Defense center in Oceanside.

“As usual, Kids Fest is always a big hit in town,” said Parks and Recreation Superintendent Anthony Brunetta. “It’s information for people in town, to learn things they wouldn’t have known otherwise. It’s a free and easy day.”

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