CORNER BROOK, N.L. — Oliver MacDonald was feeling a little tired on Tuesday morning.
“I only had nine hours of sleep last night. I usually get like nine and a half.”
The nine-year-old son of Suzanne Carey and Peter MacDonald was named the Leifling for this year’s winter carnival during the annual Leifling gala held at C.C. Loughlin on Sunday.
MacDonald's lost half hour will be hard to make up as he’s got a lot of activities to attend this week.
“I thought it would be fun. And I knew there would be food, and I like food,” he said of his reason for entering the competition to become mascot Leif the Lucky’s sidekick.
“I also knew you get time off school.”
But the Grade 4 student at Immaculate Heart of Mary School said missing class wasn’t his main reason for getting involved.
“I thought it would be fun. And I knew there would be food, and I like food.”
Contestants told judges about their costumes, answered a question and had a mock sword fight with Leif.
MacDonald got some help from his dad with his costume. His dad cut the wood with a jigsaw for his swords and he sanded them. He had a big sword and a little one to put in his belt.
The big sword didn’t stand the test though when it came time for the mock sword fight with Leif.
“I fell down on purpose and I broke my sword accidentally,” he said.
His shield was made out of a hubcap with some cork bearing his initials OCM in the centre.
“And the funny thing is my initials are OCM and this morning I went 'VOCM, Viking Oliver Carey MacDonald,'” he said. It was quite fitting for his interview with the local VOCM radio station earlier in the morning.
When his name was announced as the winner MacDonald said he felt happy and excited. “And kind of emotional.”
His seven-year-old brother, Jesse, also competed. He was a bit sad about not winning, but happy for his older brother.
Since Sunday, MacDonald has had a busy few days. He’s been to Marble Mountain, bowling, the chili cook-off, a turkey dinner — his favourite so far, and family day in the park.
He was going for meatballs on Tuesday evening and said he knows there’s still lots to do until carnival closes on Sunday.
“It’s all fun.”
Twitter: WS_DianeCrocker
