Valley City to hold its 62nd annual frog jump

LIVERPOOL TWP. — Hundreds of frogs will be competing against one another to take the longest leaps during Valley City's annual frog jump on July 23 in Mill Stream Park. The frog jump consists of more than 30 flights, with about 20 frogs competing in each flight. Frogs jump one at a time after participants place the frog in the center of a parachute. Judges then measure the length of the frog's third jump, and the longest jumper wins the round. The winners of each jump then participate in a final jump, which determines the winner of the entire competition. Marketing Director of the Valley City Community Group Linda Garrett said to get the frogs, volunteers go to local ponds at night a few days before the competition to catch hundreds of them. The frogs are sorted by size and kept in a specially made trailer. After it is over, every frog is returned to the ponds. The festival has been put on for 62 years, and the theme for this year's jump is "Super Frog." She said an 11-year-old designed the logo, which is of a muscular frog wearing a red cape, and the design will be featured on the posters and shirts for this year's event. A new aspect of this year's festival is the specialty frog collectables, Garrett said. A Northeast Ohio woman donated around 1,000 pieces of unique frog collectables to the Valley City Community Group, and many of these items will be sold during the frog jump. Over the years, the frog jump has brought people from all over the United States and internationally to Liverpool Township, Garrett said. "It helps our community economically and to stay active in society by bringing in people from other communities," she said. "It also helps our community come together and work together to put on a fun event for kids as well as adults." The money that the Valley City Community Group raises from events like the frog jump go back to the community, Garrett said. For instance, the organization offers scholarships to local students. "With the increase in funds that we're making throughout our events, we're able to offer more to help our students as well as our community," she said. "We'll continue to work with the township to find things to do and improve within our own community and make it a better place to live." The current schedule is as follows: The registration tent, retail shop, vendor booths and amphibian school will open at 10 a.m. An opening ceremony will take place at 10:45 a.m. The frog jumping competition, beer and wine tents, the food court and Kids Zone will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Live entertainment at the Mill Stream Park pavilion will occur from 12-5 p.m. The frog jump closes, and the trophies will be presented from 5-6 p.m. The cost for the competition is $5 per round to jump as well as an additional $5 to rent a frog, but participants are allowed to catch and bring their own frog to the competition, Garrett said. To register for the competition ahead of time, visit bit.ly/3XKkXkW. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.