Dustin McClure wanted to build camaraderie among his coworkers, but after suggesting they play paintball, not everyone was thrilled by the idea of wielding paintball guns and shooting pellets at one another.

So he suggested a less dangerous way of socializing that still allowed the group to let off steam.

McClure hosted his second monthly water balloon fight Sunday at Wagner Park in Lubbock.

"It is definitely in the still-growing phase, but I hope we can make it part of the Lubbock culture," McClure said. "Between work, school and everything else, this is our best opportunity to release steam."

About 10 people crowded around two coolers filled with 100 water balloons each as they got ready to throw them at one another.

Reba Koch said she was surprised how much she enjoyed it.

"I've never really had a water balloon fight, so I didn't really know what to expect," Koch said. "I wasn't expecting it to be that much fun, but I showed up and it was way fun."

By the end of the fight, Sophia Jones, 7, was soaked.

"I really liked it, and it was really fun," Jones said. "I just like running around and throwing stuff at people."

McClure said the water balloon fights are also much cheaper than paintball. He said his biodegradable balloons only cost about $6 total, plus three hours of time filling them up.

"We bring about 200 balloons, and we ask other people to bring balloons as well," he said. "Our first fight, we had maybe 200 or 250, and I think they lasted a whopping 10 minutes and then we just picked up the coolers and chased people with the coolers that had water in them."

McClure said both adults and children are encouraged to attend the water balloon fights. The next one will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 at Wagner Park.

"I plan on hosting at least once a month while in Lubbock, weather permitting," he said. "This is kind of a way to cut back and have fun."

sarah.rafique@lubbockonline.com

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