St. Rocco's Festival 99

The main pictorial event at St. Rocco's is the greased pole climb, but there were too many other fotos. Rarely, have i put multiple entries up for one event, this is one. The last one i remember was the protest (a, b, c) against Kasich's attempt to institute another step toward the Republican party's fascist economic class divide between the moneyed class and what would be (but for name) a slave worker, and permanent impoverished underclass.

Immediately after i snapped the foto on top, i heard "Come on Bro". That was the first time someone requested me to take a foto. He was too busy to stay for a moment after the snap.

The big event, beginning at 2 p.m., is the pole climb. This year there were ten five man teams. Team number six, was an all girl revue. This group huddle was immediately prior to the first attempt.

The crowd was thick. Throughout the church parking lot near Fulton Road it was packed tight. It was easily the most crowded church festival i have been to. But some people were oblivious. "Why is everybody standing still?", complained one clueless woman trying to make thought the crowd five minutes to post time. She was not the only idiot. This is a well known, well publicised, annual event in Cleveland. There was a greased telephone pole ten yards from the half-wit (and she was not the only numbskull). She did not see.

This cameraman (is he Enrique Correa?), from WJW8, was smiling the whole time. It is much better than the hundreds of car collisions, fires, and gunfire aftermaths he has filmed.

There were three rounds of climbing. On the first, only four were allowed to climb. The next two rounds allow five. If the top man slides off, that ends their turn; so it is not unusual for the fifth man to stay clean. This foto was during the second short intermission.

After the winner is declared, some of the spectators went inside the church to look, and some to pray. This church has several votive rooms holding statues of saints.