By Mary Lide Parker
Staff Writer
Catch a dangling donut, visit a haunted house or navigate an inflatable obstacle course – all at the McDougle Elementary School Fall Festival this weekend.
The annual festival will take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school. Carrboro and Chapel Hill families are welcome to attend.
For the second year in a row, the carnival-style festival will feature a haunted house, over 25 different games, a bake sale, food caterers and a silent auction. There will also be performances by the middle school band Skipsations and a martial arts demonstration by the N.C. Quest Center of Chapel Hill.
“Part of what we want to do is build our school community but also feel that we’re part of a bigger community in Chapel Hill and Carrboro,†said Sonia Frischemeier, a co-chair of the event.
Last year, the festival raised over $19,000 – all of which was used to fund literacy programs, cultural-enrichment programs and technology improvements in the classroom. Frischemeier said student involvement is an important part of the festival. In years past, the fall festival at McDougle was solely comprised of the silent auction fundraiser for adults. During a PTA meeting, the idea was raised to make the festival more inclusive for families.
“It seemed to make sense to have an event where the children could participate,†said Frischemeier. “It’s amazing to see four or five hundred children running around, hopping from game to game.â€
Part of the student involvement includes “class baskets.†Each class decides on a theme, such as movie night or backyard fun, and McDougle families are invited to donate items to the basket. The baskets are then raffled off on the night of the festival.
“The kids get to see their class baskets grow over the month of September and they’re really excited when they’re on display,†Frischemeier said.
Lisa Bobst, co-chair of the event, said the students love the new school tradition of a festival. “The kids are much more excited this year because they know what to expect,†she said.
Students also sell raffle tickets. A one-dollar ticket buys a chance to win a Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS Light, an iPod Nano or a $100 gift card to Best Buy. With 25-cent raffle tickets for the baskets and one-dollar tickets for the bigger items, no one is left out of the fun.
“Even in this current economic climate, everyone can participate,†said Bobst.
Jen Liebe, also a co-chair of the event, said parents play a very important role in the festival and they enjoy doing it.
“It is a wonderful way for the parents to give back to the school while also catching up with other McDougle families,†she said.