On Saturday morning, fairy princesses and future football players discussed the most important issues in the upcoming presidential election - recycling, saving dolphins and abolishing gun stores.
The costumed children played games and took pictures with a cardboard cut-out of Barack Obama at Obama-rama, a self-proclaimed "unconventional convention" for kids.
The event, which attracted about 400 people, was held at Lightnin' Salvage Enterprises, the junk store behind Satchel's Pizza, located at 1800 NE 23rd Ave. It included Obama-themed craft booths and carnival games.
Obama-rama was created by a group of mothers who met through a support group at Shands at UF. Carol Church, one of the organizers, said the idea came up after the group held a bake sale in June for MoveOn.org.
Church said Obama-rama was not a fundraiser; instead, it was a rally for Obama supporters to get excited about the November elections and to have an outing to support politics with their kids.
One of the activities at Obama-rama was the Kids' Platform, where children were asked what they hoped the next president would do during his time in office.
"It's just great to hear what they have to say," Church said. "Your kids will surprise you."
Tristan Ford, 12, said he wanted medical operations to be affordable for all people because a family member passed away due to lack of money.
"Not everyone has that much money," Tristan said. "I don't think it's fair."
On foreign affairs, he said war is no way to solve problems.
"Everything can be solved with peace and kindness," he said. "It's just a matter of what people want to put effort in."
Tristan's aunt, Deborah Hill, said she hopes the kids will learn that elections are about the importance of choices.
Hill said she was amazed by the words the children wrote and spoke to the crowd on their views of the world.
"I don't ever remember being that conscious about politics at that age," she said.
