The CBC reports on the show As It Happens that the city of Mayo, Yukon has a “super fun” annual peanut drop to celebrate Canada Day (which was yesterday). I listened to the interview which you can listen by clicking here, and the organizer explained that local children used to be given discounted helicopter rides on Canada Day, and when the cost became too high to offer rides, they found another way to use a helicopter to create excitement.
About 70 to 80 children gather in a field, and the helicopter makes a few passes overhead. Then the children are cleared to the edge of the field while the helicopter hovers 100 feet above, and 100 pounds of peanuts (the equivalent of about 3 big black garbage bags full) are pushed by four volunteers out of the helicopter’s rear sliding doors. The words 1-2-3-GO! are yelled, and the children pick up as many peanuts as they can.
The spokesperson was asked: “Why peanuts?” and he replied “Why not peanuts?” No one knows the reason they’re being used, they just know that it has always been peanuts. He further explained that the kids pick them up very thoroughly, and what they may miss, the seals pick up.
My hope is that there are no peanut allergic children or adults in Mayo, Yukon who are unable to participate or feel at risk due to this tradition. How would you feel if this happened where you live? Please leave a comment below to let me know.
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I have NEVER heard of something like this. I just can’t imagine why anyone would think, food allergic or not, that this could continue to be a good idea! Then again, I think about how adamant baseball is about retaining peanuts. Does it have anything to do with the actual game? No. But people cling to the idea that they should be eating them while watching and throwing the shells every which way. That is the aspect that bugs me in baseball and in your post, Elizabeth – most of us would say if people are going to eat peanuts they are welcome to do it, but to start being reckless and throwing them around is just random and needlessly could endanger or exclude someone else. I had a talk with a local rep for a baseball team and she was brainstorming with me a peanut free day at the park but then she said the vendors would not be happy to limit those sales and the idea fizzled out. I think if the excitement is for kids to grab what is dropped from the helicopter they could grab anything relatively light.