Combine a family-focused event with a fund-raiser and you get the 17th Annual Tour de Fun. This yearly event, designed for kids 1-10 years old, will be held Sunday, May 6, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the back parking lot of the Jewish Community Center, #2 Millstone Campus Drive. In addition to providing families with lots of activities to enjoy together, the Tour de Fun raises money for the Helene Mirowitz Department of Jewish Life.

“This is a great family event that just happens to be a fund raiser,” said co-chair Jeff Schmitz. “There is an endless variety of things going on. And any time you go to the stage, there’s some type of entertainment.” Activities include pony rides, speed pitch, a giant inflatable slide, a petting zoo, and all sorts of vehicles that kids can climb on. The food station, catered by Simon Kohn’s, includes kid-friendly items like hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream, as well as turkey and veggie sandwiches.

“The mechanical swing and the inflatables are always a big draw,” said co-chair Jon Baris. “And the kids get a kick out of climbing on the fire truck, going through an ambulance and getting close up to the construction vehicles.” Baris added that the luxury cars and Segway ® are a big draw for the adults.

The fund raising side of this popular event supports the programs at Helene Mirowitz Department of Jewish Life.

“Our department works to make sure young families have a sense of community within the Jewish Community Center,” explained Susie Sachs, Tour de Fun coordinator. “We have many programs designed to support that goal.” The programs include Shalom Baby, Mom’s Night Out, Dad and I, Shabbat Neighborhood Picnic, and Chanukah Hoopla, among many others. The Tour de Fun, through registration fees and sponsorships, helps the department offer these programs.

While the event has traditionally been for 1-10 year olds, this year the organizing committee, made up of 10 committee heads, 35 active volunteers and co-chairs Schmitz and Baris, is making an effort to add events designed to appeal to the older child. “We’ve added basketball and remote control cars,” Sachs explained. “We thought they would be good for these kids.” Schmitz thought the antique cars would also be an attraction for the older kids.

The full list of activities for this year’s Tour de Fun includes:

Interactive Experiences

* Magic show

* “Run Away With The Circus” Area

* Trackless train rides

* Noodle art

* Lowe’s building station

* Face painting

* Button art

* Traveling exhibit from the Magic House ®

* Face painting

Games & Sports

* Giant inflatable slides and obstacle courses

* Balloon artist

* Caricaturist

* JCC playground

* Speed pitch

* Toddler-only bounce house

* Mechanical swing

* Basketball hoops

* Mobil Gas Station & Trike Course (a pretend gas station where kids can stop while riding tricycles on a course)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

* Classic cars

* Segway ® (for adults only)

* Police cars

* Remote-controlled racing cars

* Ambulances

* Bus

* Funky cars

* Antique cars

* Luxury cars

* Motorcycles

* Bucket truck

* Utility truck

* Clown cars

* A helicopter from St. Louis County will land on the ball fields

Animals & More

* Pony rides

* Pony cart rides

* Petting zoo

* Mini horses

Entertainment

* Babaloo

* Israeli dancing

* Karate demonstration

* Circus performers

In addition, there will be bicycle helmet fittings and helmets for sale.

“It’s a great way to spend an afternoon with your kids,” Schmitz summarized. “The Tour de Fun is everything kids love in one spot.”

To register for the Tour de Fun, visit www.tourdefun.com, register on the day of the event, or call Susie Sachs at 314-442-3129. Registration is $10 per child; adults are free.