Children race to gather marshmallows dropped from a helicopter at pair of Michigan parks

WESTLAND, Mich. (AP) — The sky was cloudy Friday and there were likely marshmallows, too, as kids raced to collect thousands of sticky treats dropped from helicopters at two Detroit-area parks.

Annual Marshmallow DropThe event, hosted by Wayne County Parks, took place two hours apart in Trenton, Michigan, and Westland, Michigan.

“It was great. The weather was beautiful and I think it’s a great thing for all the kids to start off Easter and the weekend, so yeah, I think it’s great,” said Westland resident Anna Grote (GROH’-tee), who attended with her boyfriend and 10-year-old son.

Hundreds of children everywhere cheered as the helicopter headed towards the crash site. When we arrived, a traveler emptied the treats from a sack onto the grass below. The helicopter made three passes and dropped candies to children of different age groups.

David Alexander was in Westland with his two children, ages 7 and 10. The Inkster resident encouraged them to “be the first in line.”

“Get ready, get ready, go. Be the first, take off,” he said.

Officials emphasized that, although it may be tempting, marshmallows should not be eaten because they hit the ground. Instead, children replaced the soft treats with a reward.

Some kids grabbed more than one, and their parents kindly threw most of them onto the grass, allowing other kids to try too.

“Everyone was nice. There was no pushing, shoving, fighting,” said Alexander, who attended for the first time.

Grote said her boyfriend’s son “had no trouble” obtaining marshmallows.

“The thrill of the hunt, right?” he said, laughing.