craigdailypress.com

It's unusual, to say the least, to see a group of people wrapped in blankets and lined up at the VFW at 7 a.m. on a Friday. Visitors to Moffat County may have blinked a few times when they drove by the portable toilets, the construction heaters and the camp trailers that lined the restaurant's parking lot and its lawn.

But residents know what the hullabaloo is all about. The line heralds the coming of an annual event that's as unusual to our community as the people and as defining as the signs at the town's entrances.

It's the annual Kiwanis Play, an event so steeped in tradition that people know a year in advance what they're willing to do to get coveted tickets -- and they're willing to do quite a lot. Ask those who arrived 30 hours in advance and spent a cold February night in the parking lot of the VFW just to be the first in a long line.

The play itself is a parody almost indescribable to those who have never seen it. From the bearded, lipstick-smeared men who kiss all guests at the door to a cast of characters that includes Sterile Deal, Buddy Bumstead, Dr. Feelgood and Cheech Moron, the concept of political correctness may as well not exist.

Playgoers are overhead saying, "Only in Craig."

They say it proudly.

Craig City Council members have joked that they want to cancel all their meetings between November and March so there's no chance any action they've taken will be the subject of a skit.

The play program reads, "All characters depicted in this program are allegedly fictitious and any resemblance to current events is allegedly coincidental."

Former TV personality Michael Phelps, portrayed as Michael Belch, would argue that there's no allegedly about it. But, he'll do so with a smile on his face.

Some say that being targeted by the Kiwanis on play night means you're somebody. It's doubtful that police Chief Walt Vanatta (portrayed as full-time golfer Walt Bandana), the sheriff ("you know you're a redneck when both your dog and your sheriff are named 'Buddy'") or Moffat County Commissioners (Saed "Sod" Tayyara or Tom Gray "Tom Offwhite") would mind being nobodies on the night of the play.

Certainly, the Craig Daily Mess could do without the distinction.

Although the Kiwanis know exactly how to give life to residents' unspoken criticisms and thoughts, it's all in good fun, and even the targets manage to laugh at their own follies.

The Kiwanis Play has been a tradition for 60 years, and there's no question -- particularly when they sell out of tickets every year -- that it's a tradition that this community supports.

That support translates to funding for high school scholarships, Special Olympic activities and a myriad of other investments in the community.

From the opportunity to brave freezing weather for a ticket, to the play itself, to the dollars that are invested in the community, we thank the Kiwanis for what they do.

Cheers to keeping a tradition alive and lively, to providing the community with an event that's unparalleled, and to the Kiwanians, who are brave enough to do it and coordinated enough to do it in dresses and stockings.