Gangsters ride in style through Toledo during the 90th annual Cheese Days Celebration.
The city of Toledo’s largest celebration of the year begins today, as Cheese Days has arrived.
Cheese Days 2014 will honor the town’s aviation history with the theme “Flying High in Toledo.” The town’s airport was opened in 1940 and served as an emergency airport during World War II. Today the airport is still operational, and is home to the Toledo Flying Club and Skydive! Toledo.
The Toledo Lions Club helps organize Cheese Days, and it has set up a variety of events designed to keep people of all ages entertained. From a kids’ fun festival to a youth barbecue and hamburger stand and the Car and Motorcycle Show, the community celebration has something for everyone.
“We just want people to have a good time,” Lions Club member Ron Smith said.
Cheese Days kicks off tonight with the Toast of the Big Cheeses at the Morgan Arts Centre at 6 p.m. This year’s “Big Cheeses,” or grand marshals of the event, are Melba and Carl Church, and Verna and Troy Church.
The festival continues Friday with a golf tournament, tennis tournament and more, including a frog jumping competition at 6 p.m. That event alone draws scores of children to Cheese Days, Smith said.
“I could not believe how many kids there were last year,” Smith said.
Several of the events at Cheese Days raise money for all the classes at Toledo High School. One of the biggest events besides the parade is the Car and Motorcycle Show, which begins at 7 a.m. Saturday at the middle school. That event costs $20 for participants, who can pay the day of the show.
“It’s become bigger year after year,” Smith said. “We had 300-plus cars last time.”
The Lions Club pours most of the money it raises at Cheese Days back into the community, helping pay for such necessities as food baskets for the needy and physicals for youth who want to play sports but might not otherwise be able to afford the physical fee. The club is also building a scholarship fund, Smith said.
Smith said he’s proud of the Toledo community for hosting Cheese Days. The number of volunteers who give of their time and money to make the largest celebration in the city worthwhile continue to grow.
“A lot of people’s celebrations are going by the wayside, but ours gets stronger and stronger,” Smith said.
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Christopher Brewer: (360) 807-8235
