In what sounds more like the plot of a heartwarming Christmas movie than real life, a young boy recently overturned an old law so that his town can once again enjoy snowball fights.
Dane Best, a nine-year-old boy from the town of Severance, recently convinced the leaders of the small northern Colorado town to overturn the nearly century-old ban on snow fights. After his presentation to the town board meeting on Monday evening, members voted unanimously to lift the ban, allowing Dane to test out the new legality on his first victim: his little brother.
"The children of Severance want the opportunity to have a snowball fight like the rest of the world," Dane said during his presentation, according to local newspaper The Greeley Tribune. "The law was created many years ago. Today's kids need a reason to play outside."
His presentation, which lasted three minutes (which pretty long considering it was just about snowball fights), was also attended by an audience of parents and children - who all cheered once they were told of his success. Speaking to the Greeley Tribune, Dane's mother, Brooke, explained that the idea had gotten into her son's head every since he found out about the strange law six weeks ago.
Once he found out that it was illegal to throw snowballs within the city limits, Dane made it his mission to change the law. Apparently, last time it snowed, he and his friends joked about breaking the law, looking around for police who would stop them from playing in the snow. While it may seem odd, there is actually some reasoning behind why the law exists in the first place.
Jyle Rietkerk, assistant to the Severance town administrator, said that there was a larger ordinance that made it illegal to throw or shoot stones or missiles at people, buildings, trees, animals, vehicles or any other property. Unfortunately for people like Dane, snowballs fell under the town's definition of 'missiles'.
Dane was the first to take on the law, writing letters and organising his classmates to help support the overturning of the ban.
"All of the kids always get blown away that it's illegal to have snowball fights in Severance," Rietkerk said. "So, what ends up happening is (town leaders) always encourage the kids with, 'You have the power you can change the law.' No one has."
After his victory this week, it looks like it will be his four-year-old brother that will be facing him first. When board members asked him during a meeting in November if he wanted to hit anyone, he pointed to his little brother.
"We are proud of him for taking initiative to make some change, no matter how small it may be," Derrick Best, Dane's father, told CBS Denver.
Dane and his family have also researched various other ordinances in the area, including one that defines pets as cats and dogs only. Dane reportedly has a guinea pig - so maybe he'll find a new law to overturn...
