Caleb Warnock

An astronaut-senator, helicopters and planes, Miss Utah, model rockets and even a falcon were dispatched to a remote corner of Cedar Valley on Saturday in the hopes of motivating the rising generation of young men.

One attendee remarked that she had no idea the 135-person berg of Fairfield existed before Saturday, even less how to find it. Fairfield -- Utah County's newest city, having incorporated in 2004 -- is located past Eagle Mountain and Cedar Fort on Highway 73, just before crossing into Tooele County.

Wid Tolman, who organized the event, said he had actually collapsed at one point during the day. At 79 years old, he said he was determined to hold Saturday's event, and keep it free to the public, because he is concerned about a growing apathy toward education among Utah's youth.

Up to a quarter of high school students never graduate, he said.

"Our kids lack purpose and direction, like a job, and what they are going to do to support a wife and family," he said. "They are not interested in working or a profession or what is important in life."

Miss Utah, the airplanes and helicopters, the climbing wall, the military parachuters, the falcon show -- all were "the carrot to get the kids here," he said. "The real purpose was the spoken word."

To that end, former astronaut and Senator Jake Garn spoke to the group on Friday evening.

On Saturday morning, a member of the Young Men's Presidency of the LDS Church spoke. Both were meant to "help the kids get their heads screwed on straight," Tolman said.

It may have worked.

Jeffery Wilkinson, 19, of Provo, who came to the event as a chaperone for his younger brother, Christopher, said Garn had spoken about how the world is viewed from space.

"Everyone one is equal and everyone needs to get along," Jeffery Wilkinson summarized. "That was a cool talk."

Christopher, 11, said it was too hard to decide what part of the event had been his favorite. He listed the helicopters, the magic show where Miss Utah appeared out of thin air and then was whisked away by helicopter, and the military parachuters.

"Maybe it was the helicopters," he said. "They were big and they do fun stuff with them."

Melanie Henderson, who came with 10 Cub Scouts from the Provo 739 Pack, called the day a "once in a lifetime opportunity."

"I think tomorrow we will be hearing all about it" from the youth, she said.

"They need to do it again," said Melanie Henderson of the same Cub Scout pack.

Everyone interviewed agreed the event had been a smash success in every measurement. But Tolman said holding it again may be impossible, at least without more help.

"I don't think anyone here except maybe one or two people have any idea how much work went into this," Tolman said, noting he has been organizing the event for a year.

Tolman said that several people had asked him if he intended to organize a similar event for next year.

He said, perhaps only half joking, that his wife had told him "that if ever do something like this again, I can start looking for a new wife."

• Caleb Warnock can be reached at 443-3263 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it