A light rain couldn?t stop the turtles at the 75th Johns Hopkins Turtle Derby on Friday at the Johns Hopkins Children?s Center.
Hopkins? first-year medical students, the Child Life Department and Student Activities organized the event with proceeds benefiting Child Life Department at the Johns Hopkins Children?s Center and Perkins Day Care Center.
The event has been a Hopkins tradition since 1931, when they began racing the turtles as a fun event to celebrate the Preakness.
Benjamin Frisby, the hospital caretaker and doorman, kept a small turtle pen outside the building and is credited with starting the event.
People made $8 donations to sponsor and name their turtle. The first-place winner received $100, the second-place winner was awarded $50 and third place received $25.
Pediatric patients from Johns Hopkins and Kennedy Kreiger and children from Perkins Day Care Center sat in box seats to cheer on the “turbo terrapins.”
Other activities included juggling, dancing and singing for the children to enjoy.
