Kazoo's Big Gingerbread House Adventure

Kazoo's second favorite season after baseball season, of course, is the holiday season.

When the Pensacola Blue Wahoos mascot learned about the first ever SoGo Gingerbread House Contest, he had to enter.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos Community Relations Director Donna Kirby, who is one of the contest's celebrity judges, read the rules to Kazoo. She explained: " Blue Wahoos employees -- and that means you, Kazoo -- cannot win any prizes, including The Best of Show for $5,000."

His plans for a new super duper motorcycle dashed, Kazoo decided to still make a gingerbread house. The only problem? Kazoo had to learn to cook.

So, Kazoo asked for help from the Blue Wahoos new Executive Chef, Travis Wilson, and Mark Micallef, the team's director of Food & Beverage. Under the supervision of Chef Travis and Mark, Kazoo managed to keep from setting off the stadium kitchen fire alarms. However, they failed to catch Kazoo eating up all of the frosting...several times.

Kazoo had so much fun that the SoGo Gingerbread House Contest has become his newest holiday tradition. Look for Kazoo in the SoGo District Wednesday checking out the 45 other creative gingerbread building entries in this season's contest.

The public is welcome to festive Downtown Pensacola near the intersections of Palafox and Main to see the gingerbreads showcased throughout the SoGo District, which is located South of Government Street. SoGo retailers will have the gingerbread houses on display during the holiday season and anyone can cast ballots for their favorite ones, other than Kazoo's, of course.

You can "vote" for your favorite by purchasing a ticket and putting that ticket in a slotted entry box next to each display through Monday, Dec. 15. All money from the ticket purchases will be given to Health and Hope Clinic. Fans are encouraged to vote as many times as they would like for their favorite.

Winning entrants will be rewarded with cash prizes and special awards ceremony as well as featured in media at InWeekly, Blab and Pensacola News Journal.

For more information, view the SOGO Gingerbread House Contest website or Facebook page or contact 850-391-2196. For more photos of Kazoo's gingerbread house, go to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Facebook.

Oh, yeah, don't forget to congratulate new gingerbread house chef extraordinaire, Kazoo, the next time you see him! It took him a few days but he finally cleaned all the frosting matted in his blue fur.