Kids at several Woodstock elementary schools got to see a snowplow at their school this week.

The kids got to see the plows not because of the weather, but rather because they got to help name a trio of new plows for a new contest county officials held.

The McHenry County Division of Transportation had asked elementary school students in Woodstock District 200 to submit potential names for the new snowplows. The public got the opportunity to vote on the six submissions at Sunday’s touch-a-truck, though only the top three names are going on the plows.

Different school districts will get a chance to submit names each year, but Woodstock went first because it’s the closest to the county government offices and the touch-a-truck. McHenry County held its touch-a-truck at the Woodstock Farm and Fleet parking lot.

Hans Varga, public information officer for MCDOT, said last week the Division of Transportation’s goal is to serve the community, and it wants the community to feel connected to the division and the equipment. Officials felt the naming contest was one way to do it.

Other government agencies have had naming contests and positive results from it, and MCDOT is hoping for the same, Varga said.

The winning names were Darth Blader, submitted by Olson Elementary School; Snowlax, submitted by Mary Endres Elementary; and Blizzard Wizard, submitted by Greenwood Elementary.

“We appreciate the McHenry County Division of Transportation giving our Mustangs this fun opportunity,” Olson Principal Jennifer Malecke said. “They’ll be very excited to see Darth Blader clearing a path for our school buses next winter.”

Woodstock District 200 spokesperson Kevin Lyons said Darth Blader was a class decision among teachers Tonya Montez’s and Teddi Salas’s second-grade dual-language class, Snowlax came from fifth-grader Adalyn Krejci, and Blizzard Wizard was a class decision in teacher Theresa Vorderer’s fourth-grade class.

“The students had so much fun seeing Snowlax in person,” Mary Endres Principal Christina Ruiz said. “The contest was a memorable experience for them.”

Darth Blader won with 100 votes, Snowlax took second with 64 votes and Blizzard Wizard got third place with 50 votes, Varga said.

In total, 276 people voted in the contest, while nearly 2,300 people attended the touch-a-truck, Varga said.

The winning plows will have a sign on the side of the truck with their name on it. The signs will be around nine inches by 36 inches, Varga said.

The county, on average, replaces three plows per year, Varga said, and plows last around 10 to 15 years. The fleet has around 30 vehicles, so it is expected to take around 10 years to name them all. Varga said it would be many years from now, but officials will likely have a retirement celebration for the named plows when they reach the end of their lives.