WASSAIC — With “Flight of the Valkyries” blaring like a scene from “Apocalypse Now,” the Red Team and the Black Team rushed across the field. Tomatoes flew through the air, splattering white T-shirts with the red juice on Saturday, Sept. 10, in Wassaic.
The Tomato War, which is hosted by Gordon Elliot and Philip Mactaggart, is a charity fundraising event now in its sixth year. It raises funds for Kulen Outreach, an organization that builds schools and educational systems for children in Cambodia, as well as the Millbrook Early Childhood Education Center (MECEC), which provides local families access to quality preschool programs.
“Gordon went to a very remote village [in Cambodia] and walked into a classroom of 6 and 7-year-olds, and there was a 14-year-old standing where the teacher should have been,” said Mactaggart of the origins of Kulen Outreach. “He was trying teaching neighbors, siblings, cousins what he could remember from when there was a teacher there seven years ago.”
Since the inaugural event, the Tomato War has funded five schools and has helped more than 600 students in Cambodia. The previous year, more than $250,000 was raised for the two charities and Mactaggart is hoping to exceed that for this year.
“The cool thing about this year is that we have an anonymous donor who has agreed to match dollar-for-dollar everything, up to $250,000,” said Mactaggart. “So it could be a very big day.”
The event began at 10:30 a.m., with people checking in for the battle, families enjoying refreshments and children running around and playing in a bounce house. With tickets being sold out, more than 400 people attended this year’s event.
At 11 a.m., the festivities started with a children’s Tomato War. The contestants were split into two teams, Red and Black, and could be identified by their team’s colored bandanas and a bag used for ammunition. At the sound of an air-horn, and Mactaggart asking, “Who’s ready to throw some tomatoes?” the fun began.
About an hour later, the adults took their turn, running up the field toward their opponents’ base, ducking behind hay bale cover and, of course, throwing juicy tomatoes.
“I think the biggest thing obviously is helping to raise a little bit of money for organizations locally,” said Alex Kania, from Stanfordville, whose son goes to MECEC. “Also it’s just a great event to get people together. It feels like a big family out here.”
After the actual Tomato War, the crowd reconvened with food and drinks before seeing a video presentation of the work that Kulen Outreach and MECEC do, followed by an auction with prizes ranging from a 90-minute scenic tour in a plane to seven nights in Corfu, Greece.
At the end of the day, approximately $170,000 had been raised by attendees for the two organizations and an estimated 9,000 tomatoes had been hurled.
For more information or to donate to Kulen Outreach and MECEC, go to www.tomatowarmillbrook.com.
At the sixth annual Tomato War on Saturday, Sept. 10, more than 9,000 tomatoes were brought in to be thrown in a massive game of capture the flag. Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Participants in the sixth annual Tomato War were separated into two teams: the Red Team and the Black Team. After the sounding of an air horn, team members rushed across the field, ducking for cover while hurling tomatoes through the air. Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
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