MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- For the students at Mathew C. Perry Elementary and High School, summer ended the day the fall semester began, but for one day the children took to the golf course and partied like it was the first day of summer vacation.
On Saturday, Marine Corps Community Services Iwakuni hosted the Summer Music Festival at the Torii Pines Golf Course here.
The event was not exclusive to children; both service members and civilians of all ages attended the event, but it was the children who seemed to know how to get down and party.
“I always assumed the Marines were the ones who knew how to get the party started, but clearly I was wrong; it is definitely the young ones who know how to get things jumping,” said Amanda Etter, who attended the event with her daughter and friends. “If you just take a look around, you can see kids chowing down on cotton candy, playing in the jumpers, dancing to the music, and just having a good time being together. I have to hand it to the kids. They really know how to non-stop rock out.”
Everyone in attendance seemed to be having a good time, but why was it the children who were having the most fun? What was the secret to these children’s awe-inspiring partying skills?
“The secret is cotton candy,” said Cheyenne Wichner, an M.C. Perry High School seventh-grader, who offered the magical key to rocking out.
“The sugar and our youth is what keeps us going,” said Wichner, bursting into laughter. “If the Marines ever challenged the kids to see who could have more fun, the kids would definitely win, hands down.”
The only competition that ensued between the children and Marines was a dance-off orchestrated by the Summer Music Festival’s headlining act, the Chicago Hot Rox Dancers.
Only one Marine had the nerve to compete against the heard of footloose children. The lone Marine was good, but he had no chance against the children who quickly demonstrated they could pop and lock like no one’s business.
“The children were so much fun and had so much energy that they inspired us to completely change the second half of our show to include them,” said Kim Brancamp, the coach and lead performer of the Hot Rox Dancers.
As the sun set, the concert continued to jam on along with the children. They came, they conquered, they rocked the house harder than anyone else.
“This was crazy cool and crazy fun,” said Wichner. “All my friends and I had a great time. I would definitely come back and do this again.”