NATCHEZ &045; Children nearly blew their jaws out Saturday to win the sixth annual Double Bubble National bubble-blowing contest at Wal-Mart.

As Jameson Jackson put his hand on his waist, chewed gum was being prepared in his mouth to produce a massive bubble. &uot;I can’t hold my breath long enough to blow,&uot; he said.

Jackson was like the other contestants 12 and younger who stood by the pink Double Bubble stand in front of the candy aisle.

The winner of the store contest, Denise Harris from Roxie, received a Double Bubble backpack and an award certificate for her 10.25 centimeter-wide achievement, as well as the opportunity to be entered in the national finals in August.

To be considered for the store reward, the bubble must be at least ten centimeters wide.

Children like Jackson and Sarah Garrity competed until their jaws couldn’t take any more.

&uot;My jaw is about to burst open,&uot; Jackson said.

After a bubble popped in his nose, Jackson unwrapped a piece of Double Bubble gum for another try.

Garrity, 10, chewed and blew bubbles multiple times while her mother and two brothers looked on.

Trying to get it off her tongue and hair and then trying not to pop it, Garrity said, was her most challenging part of the process. But Garrity said she was coming back to try again.

Wal-Mart department manager Myrtis Fleming at first didn’t know why a shipment full of Double Bubble gum was sent to her store. Then Bobbye Holland, an employee of Professional Demo who has worked for the contest for three years, called to make arrangements for Saturday.

According to Holland, Natchez has not had a child make a bubble large enough to go the national finals. &uot;We’re working on it, though,&uot; Fleming said.

For Fleming, her goal of the day was to sell 50 Double Bubble bags, but she also remembered a particular 6-years-old contestant’s goal for the day.

Her mom called her Peaches, she said. She tried about 10 times.

&uot;The girl said ‘I’m not giving up until I make it,&uot; Fleming said.

The girl’s bubble went from four to nine centimeters wide.