MILFORD, Ohio — Mascots from the Cincinnati Cyclones and Xavier University will greet families at the Clermont County Public Library’s Miami Township Branch on Saturday, part of a statewide celebration of Ohio’s sports culture tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Twister and Puckchop, the Cyclones’ mascots, will join Xavier’s D’Artagnan the Musketeer and the library’s own mascot, Browser, for a meet-and-greet from 11 a.m. to noon at the branch, 5920 Buckwheat Road, according to the library. The event is free and open to all ages, and the library encouraged visitors to bring a camera for photos.
Along with photo opportunities, the library is running a scavenger hunt through the branch, with participants who complete it earning prizes such as buttons and stickers, the library said.
The visit falls under September’s America250-Ohio theme, “Ohio Plays: Sports & Wellness,” part of a yearlong celebration of the semiquincentennial spotlighting the state’s sports culture, from youth leagues to professional teams.
Twister, a wind-themed character, and Puckchop, a pig mascot introduced in 2015 as a nod to Cincinnati’s meatpacking history, are both fixtures at Cyclones games and community appearances, according to the ECHL hockey team. Xavier’s D’Artagnan traces to 1925, when the Rev. Francis J. Finn, a member of the university’s board of trustees, proposed the Musketeer as a mascot reflecting Xavier’s French heritage; the character first appeared at a Xavier sporting event in 1965. Xavier remains the only NCAA Division I program to use the Musketeer as its mascot, according to the university.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Clermont County Public Library.