ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 22, 1997 TAG: 9704220055
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: MARK CLOTHIER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Virginia Tech student-athletes made time for the young and the young at heart at practice field.
David Dowe is 6 and does not lack for confidence.
He stands in line, waiting to kick a football. The ball is held by Shayne Graham, Hokie place-kicker and the Big East's best booter last year.
But today is Kid Fest '97 at Virginia Tech's football practice field. So today, Shayne Graham is David's holder.
When it's David's turn, he runs to the Graham-held ball and tries to kick it through the uprights.
He misses. The ball sails wide left and a little low. All in all, a good try. But to look at David, you'd think he just kicked a four-seconds-left Orange Bowl-winning field goal.
He takes off running.
He slows to chicken strut a few yards, head bobbing.
He starts running again, this time arms up, pointed skyward, Joe Montana-style, back to the line.
David Dowe is 6 and does not lack for enthusiasm.
He's here with his cousins Mike, 8, and Ryan, also 6, and Renee Dowe, 27.
There were many things to do at Kid Fest '97. Athletes from about every Tech sport imaginable dedicated three hours of their free time Saturday afternoon to play with approximately 300 kids who didn't have to pay a penny.
But for these three kids, initially at least, Kid Fest '97 was a chance for quality time with Graham, the Hokie place-kicker and a Pulaski County High School graduate.
By 11:30 a.m., the event was a half-hour old and David and his cousins had been at the football kicking-part going on 20 minutes.
"Guys, we can do something else when you get tired of kicking," said Renee Dowe, hinting strongly.
"I'm never getting tired of kicking," said David.
Within two minutes, however, David was off and running at the tackling dummy.
Then he and his cousins headed to the soccer team ball-handling event, dribbling the ball around orange cones.
Then to the hurdles, where track team members lifted kids by the arms to help them over the chest-high hurdles.
David Dowe is 6 and does not lack for energy.
Kit Edwards is not a kid, though her furry, white Hokie earmuffs didn't help matters. Nor did she bring any kids to Kid Fest '97. Kit Edwards is the kid, even though she's 40 years old. She and a friend came from Roanoke. They're big Hokie fans and wanted to come early to take pictures and get autographs before the spring football game, which started at 2 p.m.
She brought a duffel bag filled with signed paraphernalia and several now-signed souvenir books. She waited between kicks to get Graham's autograph. She brought her own Magic Marker. Graham said "Yes, ma'am," and signed.
Though the football part drew the most, other sports did well.
Kids had the chance to grapple with Hokie wrestlers.
They could throw a baseball and have its velocity measured.
They also got to try to take the ball away from Hokie soccer players.
But arguably the greatest athletic feat was at a folding table by the entrance.
There sat the Hokie Bird, in full dress uniform. This includes floppy, fur-covered, mitten-like gloves. With these mitten-like gloves, the bird was gripping a Magic Marker and was scrawling the words "Hokie Bird" for a stream of kids holding posters. Strap on an oven mitt and try it sometime.
The Hokie Bird may be a mascot, but he does not lack for talent.
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON THE ROANOKE TIMES. 1. David Dowe (above) ofby CNBChristiansburg puts everything into a kick as Virginia Tech's kicker
Shayne Graham holds the ball. 2. Harrison Cahill (left) of
Charlotte, N.C., takes aim at the target for the football throw. 3.
Erin Callaghan, a member of the Virgina Tech women's lacrosse team
shows 4-year-old Lindsey Tyboroski how to use a lacrosse stick. 4.
Size wasn't a factor for those who wanted to try on a Hokie uniform
during Kid Fest. Even 2-year-old Nicholas Ratliff of Roanoke gave it
a try. color.