West Elementary set to host Fall Festival

By Staff
The Parent Teacher Organization at West Elementary is hosting a Fall Festival Thursday, Nov. 2 from 4 to 8 p.m.
The Festival will include games, inflatable activities, and food. The softball field will be covered with nine inflatables rented for the event. There will be games like bingo, cakewalk, book walk, and other popular carnival games. There will also be a hayride. The concession stand will sale pizza, candy, popcorn and drinks, Dawn James, PTO volunteer, said.
The will also be a Silent Auction. Each teacher will create a themed basket to be auctioned off. Each teacher will keep the proceeds from their basket to use for supplies inside the classroom. There will be approximately 35 baskets available for bids. The PTO also has donated items to be auctioned off as well, James said.
"This is the only fundraiser the PTO does all year, and it has been a success in the past," James said.
The PTO will sell armbands for $15 for the first armband, and $10 for each additional armband. Tickets can be purchased in a package, or singly at 50 cents each. The inflatable activities require an armband or 2 tickets, and the games require an armband or 1 ticket. Armbands cannot be used at Bingo or the Cakewalk or book walk, James said.
In 2004, the Fall Festival raked in $14,000. The PTO used that money to put new computers in the computer lab. There was no Festival last year due Hurricane Katrina, James said.
"We like to purchase something that can be used school wide, but I don't know what we will get this year," James said. "It will depend on how much money we earn."
The student participated in a poster contest to promote the festival this year. A first, second and third place winner was selected from each grade. The first place winners will receive a free armband, and the second and third place winners will receive free tickets to the festival. The winning poster were displayed in the cafeteria, James said.