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Steamboat Springs — A wobbling caterpillar took the top prize at the Routt County Fair parade, and the champions have decided to give the money to the hands (and feet) behind the float.

The Hayden Chamber of Commerce asked Totally Kids campers to make a papier-mÕche head for the caterpillar. The children did so, and several of them marched in the parade as the caterpillar and alongside it in insect costumes.

"It was lots of fun, and, bless their little hearts, some didn't know their left foot from their right, but they walked," said Donna Hellyer, a Chamber volunteer who helped plan the float.

The prize, $100, probably will go back to programs and scholarships for the group, Totally Kids teacher Selena Frentress said. She helped organize the caterpillar construction, and her sons, Daylon and Liam, were among the children who walked in costume.

The campers spent about a week building the papier-mÕche head. The body of the caterpillar was made from a nylon tunnel with wires inside, Frentress said. Children who volunteered were allowed to walk in the Aug. 16 parade.

Frentress walked alongside as a butterfly, and one camper also dressed as a butterfly. Another dressed as a ladybug.

"They were so excited," she said of the children in the caterpillar. "Now, I don't think they absolutely knew it was going to be as hard of work as it was. It was pretty challenging to walk in it."

Daylon Frentress said the stroll was tough.

"It was hard to walk because you couldn't see anything," the 7-year-old said.

His brother Liam, 5, agreed it was a challenge.

"It wasn't fun because it hurt my back," he said.

The parade route wasn't always fun, perhaps, but parts of it were funny, Selena Frentress said. At one point, one of the caterpillar's feet lost a shoe.

Shjon Petersen, 6, accidentally stepped out of one of her slip-ons during the walk.

"She's trying to get her shoes back, and there were kids behind her kind of walking on her," Frentress said. "She's yelling, 'Help, I lost my shoes.' I've got this butterfly thing on my head and I couldn't really hear her, but finally I did, and we got her shoes back. That was kind of funny."

Frentress said she was grateful for the Chamber's donation. Totally Kids probably will work with the group in the future, she said. It also might participate in the fair parade despite the hiccups this year.

"It's a great way to get the community back together again," Frentress said.

- To reach Blythe Terrell, call 871-4234

or e-mail bterrell@steamboatpilot.com