Sargent Memorial Park, Kodiak Island, Alaska

Ready, set, GO!

Crawl-the-Rock, Baby!

Crawl-the-Rock, Baby!

This “cute-fest” was a brainchild of one of our Peer Counselors a few years ago and has quickly become one of the most popular events during Kodiak’s annual Crab Festival. Any baby who can propel themselves by crawling or toddling and who does NOT follow instructions is eligible to race! Babies line up with a caregiver at the starting line and make their own way, however they want, down the short race course. While not every baby makes it across the finish line, they are all winners and bring out a chorus of smiles, laughter, and cheering from the crowd. Friends and relatives from near or far can sponsor a baby and watch race footage online afterward. Door prizes from local businesses, broacast play-by-play by a seasoned sports announcer, and customized race swag for the athletes round out the organized chaos. 

2024 Crawl-the-Rock, Baby! was a blast. Split-the-Pot added extra fun and helped us raise a little more with this CUTEfest event of Crab Fest. All the beautiful babies were winners as they toddled, crawled and rolled across Sargent Park, bringing smiles and laughter to everyone (and it’s just as fun to watch the proud parents as it is to watch the babies!). Good job Kodiak on supporting and celebrating the next generation of Kodiak Kiddos! Stay tuned for next year!

Previous “Crawl-the-Rock, Baby!” Events

2024

Every year since 2019 our fears of Crawl-the-Rock turning into a baby slip'n'slide have been put to rest by good weather. Twenty-three kiddos in four heats crawled, scooted, rolled around, toddled, or flat out sprinted (one little guy looked like he was headed for Pasagshak!). We upped the ante with a split-the-pot raffle this year and the winner generously donated their prize back to KINDNESS, so we can continue fulfilling our mission of serving families with Kodiak littles. Enjoy the photos and videos, and thank you Kodiak!
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2023

The weather must know when we plan for Crawl-the-Rock, because AGAIN, the storm clouds broke on race day. Twenty-seven kiddos in four heats crawled, scooted, belly-slithered, toddled (or just sat there looking cute). There was no shortage of smiles and laughter from the many spectators as every racer was celebrated. Enjoy the photos and videos!
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2022

Again, we lucked out on the weather, and in 2022, 34 young’uns in five heats put their best foot (or knee) forward on the race mat. This year, Kodiak Canvas Company gifted us colorful race vests so our announcer could quickly identify the babies among their crowds of supporters, encouraging them toward the finish line. Weeks before the event, people asked us about Crawl-the-Rock, confirming that it quickly became a highlight of Kodiak’s Crab Festival.
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2021

We couldn’t wait to host Crawl-the-Rock again in 2021 after COVID thwarted Crab Fest in 2020. This year blew away our expectations. Twenty-seven babies registered, requiring four heats. An estimated 175 people came to watch. Marcus Dunbar, Kodiak’s legendary running coach, was our play-by-play announcer. Although rain showers threatened to dampen the festivities, a few hours before the start horn sounded, the clouds parted, and the sun even peeked down on us. What a fabulous way to celebrate the youngest members of our community!
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2019

In 2019, KINDNESS hosted the first-ever Crawl-the-Rock event during the Kodiak Crab Fest. It was a wonderful sunny day on the Kodiak History Museum Lawn, and about a dozen brave families showed up to give it a whirl. We learned enough during this test run to have great ideas for the next time and, given the response from the small but enthusiastic group of spectators, knew that it had the potential to become a hit.
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