LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — They say you must first learn to walk before you can run. The same goes for twirling fire batons because before you can twirl with fire, you must first learn to twirl without it.
The Double "R" Twirlettes of Lackawanna County are more than willing to accommodate.
"We have students, ages 3 to 18, all over Lackawanna County. We hold lessons in Scranton, Throop, Blakely, and Daleville," Kathleen Mercatili said. "My grandparents actually started the group in 1949. My mother and her sister took over. My mother's name is Rosemary, her sister's name is Rita. That's how Double "R" Twirlettes became. So I am third generation, and currently, my daughter Callie, who is 11, is a member of the group, and she's fourth generation."
First, we start with the basics of fine motor skills and full-body movement.
On to step two with the next group, where we use both hands and try a toss or two.
"What I like about twirling fire is I like how it's twirling with a different baton," Kali Mercatili said. "It's something different, and it's pretty scary."
The gasoline-soaked cloth on either end that we light on fire doesn't make too much of a flammable mess.
It's scary, challenging, and exciting.
If you want to give it a try, you can find more information on the Double "R" Twirlettes HERE.