Cindy Timmerman is executive director of the Coopersville Area Chamber of Commerce. Her professional persona aside, she loves potty humor, and apparently so does her town. It's actually known for it.

On the final Saturday of February, the Coopersville-Polkton Fire Department will feature an outhouse parade and race, dubbed the Outhouse 500. It's an event so unique, it garners consistent national media attention, including a piece on Oprah Radio, while copy cats are starting to crop up around the country.

"We give tips and advice to towns all across the country because they want to try holding a similar event," said Timmerman, a volunteer this year who has been instrumental in developing the event.

For the past five years, the event has been put on by the Main Street Merchants Association and the chamber of commerce. Since the economy has gone down the crapper, the event was in peril until the fire department swooped in to save it.

"We're just trying to gain exposure for our downtown," Timmerman said. "In many small towns, January, February and March are really tough months for many businesses."

At the event, contestants vie for bragging rights and small trophies and trinkets by decorating a themed outhouse on wheels and pushing it down Main Street. Prizes are awarded for race winners and outhouse creativity.

Timmerman said one of the most unique entries was a cave outhouse, pushed by cavemen. The raunchiest went to the "Eskimo Pie Hole," an igloo outhouse pushed by Eskimos chucking out Eskimo Pies to the crowd.

"We try not to get too crass, but there is occasionally some fake poo," Timmerman giggled. "We try to keep it PG."

For registration forms and a list of outhouse specifications, visit outhouse500.com.

Outhouse 500
Downtown Coopersville
Feb. 27, 11 a.m.
Free to attend; $30 to register, $45 the week-of
outhouse500.com