SYRACUSE -- Thursday was a great day for Logan Heinze.
The third-grader walked into the Bluff Ridge Elementary School office with a friend and said, "I can't wait until field day."
A few minutes later, activities filled the playground behind the school.
Logan, who wears an insulin pump to control his diabetes, removed the pump so he could have more fun with his classmates.
"It was Logan's dream to disconnect the pump -- this is a good day for him," said Stacey Clark, the nurse assistant who keeps track of the Bluff Ridge students who have diabetes.
Clark stood in the shade of a tree, watching the students participate in games around the playground. During the event, she approached each diabetic child and helped check their blood sugar.
Boys against the girls and mixed groups against each other during a tug-of-war competition meant pulling the opponents into an inflatable pool filled with water.
After being pulled in several times, Ethon Dorrily said, "I'm cold," then ran off to get pulled in again and be sprayed with water from the nearby hose.
Fifth-grader Kaden Swartz had the loop at the end of the large rope around his waist when the whole team was pulled through the water.
"It kind of hurt, but it was really fun. Everyone kept letting go, so it was hard to stay back," Kaden said.
The 700 students on track at the year-round school visited 11 games. The younger students participated in games on one end of the playground, while the older students were on the other end.
The games centered on a pirate theme with Cannon Ball War, which was really balloon volleyball, and Walk the Plank, which required good coordination as children lifted the boards they were standing on by pulling on ropes, doing the left foot first and then the right.
All students had to be sure to lift the correct foot at the right time.
In another location, two teams lined up to pour water from large cups over their heads and into the cup held by the person behind them. The last person in line poured the water into a bucket.
"I have to dump it over my head," said sixth-grader Brittany Hartman, who enjoyed the water events. "I love field day. I love water -- I am from Florida."
"I feel good about field day," Logan said. "I don't get to do these kinds of games often."
Waiting patiently, Logan sat on the ground with classmates as the student in front of the line opened a piece of bubble gum while wearing big green gloves. The kids had to chew the gum long enough to blow one bubble during the Blow Me Down game.
Still chewing his gum, Logan, with his baseball cap perched on his head, then waited his turn to kick a big beach ball during the crab soccer game. The ball headed his way before he was ready and hit him in the head.
He fell over laughing and rolled in the grass.
Students also played Swab the Deck with wet sponges and Peg Leg Races with gunny sacks.
When Logan's class had a turn at tug-of-war, he waited his turn to put the loop around his waist to help his teammates pull the other team into the water. Logan laughed and was pulled to the ground, but his team still pulled the other team into the water.
The field day ended when the city fire truck came and doused the students with water from the fire hoses.
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