CHILDRESS – From screams of happiness to smiles, Bumblebee gave children a moment they’ll never forget at HTeaO on Thursday, Jan. 18.
“They’re bedsides themselves seeing a real life Transformer,” HTeaO owner Vandon Vest said. “I think it’s cool to bring it to Childress.”
Cool was the word of the day at the event. “It’s pretty cool,” said Rebekah Castillo, who brought her 3-year-old son Daxten. “He loves Transformers.”
When they pulled up to HTeaO and saw the Transformer, Castillo said her son was screaming, “Bumblebee, Bumblebee.” Just like the other kids in attendance, she took pictures of her son with Bumblebee.
Tanner Moore was smiling big with Quinton Moore and Hunter Colwell when it was their turn to take a picture with Bumblebee. “It’s cool,” he said. “He (Bumblebee) is really big.”
I Heart Cookies Co., which is based in Wichita, Kan., brought a food truck and Bumblebee to HTeaO. With the purchase of a deep dish cookie, kids could get a free picture with Bumblebee during the Transformer’s Meet and Greet appearances.
“It’s never a dull moment,” said Caden Blair, who works for iHeartCookies. “There’s no age limit for Bumblebee fans.”
That was true. There were babies, kids, teenagers, adults and grandparents at the event. Vest said he knew this would be a hit when I Heart Cookies contacted him.
“They had this Bumblebee character that isn’t like a costume you can go buy on Amazon,” he explained. “It’s something you’d see at Universal Studios. I said, ‘That sounds cool. Come on with it.’”
Vest said events like this don’t happen often in Childress. “I thought it’d be something good for the kiddos to enjoy, my son included,” he said. “It’s been a real success.”
