Redneck Prize Pull

This weekend, we were blessed to have a reunion of several of our friends from Dallas.  While most of us have moved away, it was like no time had passed at all... well, other than the nine children, ages five to 18 months running around.  They did indicate an air of change in our lives since our mostly childless days in Dallas.

Knowing that our competitive group would have plenty of opportunity to go head-to-head over the weekend - pirogue (think Louisiana-style kayak) races, games of pool, board games, fishing, etc. - it seemed prizes were in order.  I originally thought I would create some trophies out of duct tape and toilet paper tubes, but then a better idea hit, one that took less of my time - The Redneck Prize Pull.  Why, yes, I did think of that name as I was about to fall asleep one night.  How could you tell?

The general idea of The Redneck Prize Pull is wrapping several kitschy items purchased from the local thrift store and placing the items in a box to be pulled every time someone "won" a competition.  For $1.10 at our local thrift store, I purchased the following items:

• A Yellowstone Coffee Mug
• A Louisiana Downs (racetrack) Bobble Head Race Horse
• A Minnesota Coffee Mug made in West Germany (that had to be old, right?!)
• An M&M Candy Jar Commemorating the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
• An Aluminum John Deere Hat (holder??)
• An Aqua Acrylic Chalice (Which our youngest dropped and I duct taped back together)
• A Souvenir Cheese Crockery
• A Lime Green Koozie with the Logo "When Pigs Fly" (and a flying pig, of course)

That's right, I spent a big $1.10 on all that fabulous-ness.  I brought the treasures back home; wrapped them in a conglomeration of boxes, fast food bags, and Wal-Mart sacks; secured the wrapping with our second best roll of duct tape (I truly spared no expense.); and placed the prizes in a large cardboard box.

Prizes were given out for:

• Male Pirogue Race Winner
• Female Pirogue Race Winner
• Best Marksperson
• Weekend Photographer
• Baby Whisperer
• Natural Born Killer (the guy looking to kill some poisonous snakes)
• Best Second Placer
• Winner at Headbandz

This was an incredibly cheap way to add some fun to our weekend, and some people even plan to use their prizes (!).  The best part about a "Redneck Prize Pull" is that the items don't really have to be of value. In fact, if something is broken and you have to duct tape it, it just goes with the charm.

Is this something you could do at a future event?  Is this similar to something you have done in the past?  Share your experiences in the comments.