It rained and hailed the day before, but the skies cleared up for Don Callejon School’s annual Spring Fling Festival on May 15. Blue canopies were set up for booths where people sold food and gave information. Junior high students oversaw games, such as the muffin pan roll, shield toss, ladder ball and prize wheel. Visitors bid on items in the silent auction area. The event raised an estimated $28,000.
“This event is all about community,” says Terri Muench, fundraising director of the Don Callejon School Community Organization. “It’s about the local businesses, the teachers involved, and those offering their teacher time as auction items. It’s about the volunteers who showed up. It’s about the seventh and eighth grade leadership kids who helped set up all day. We gave tickets for teachers to donate to students who do well in class. Today is about fun.”
Muench was particularly excited about the remote control cars, minion bowling and on-stage competitions for players of the Rubik’s cube and Kendama, a toy where the user tries to catch a ball on the end of a stick.
Many parents chose to spend their time bidding on silent auction items. Indeed, the auction offered appealing prizes, including ready-to-go beach baskets, fine wine, a bowling party for 20, students’ original art work, books and toys. A number of generous teachers volunteered to host a picnic, a movie get-together, and art and culinary lessons for highest bidders.
In the area where the silent auction baskets were set up, children and adults also stuffed raffle boxes. A P.E. teacher allowed a winner the privilege of shaving his head. The principal and librarian gave lucky ticket holders chances to try their jobs for a day or a morning, respectively. Twenty spots were open for an ice-cream social.
“I liked playing tennis here because it is an energetic sport and a lot of fun,” says Alex, 8. “I won a tennis ball as a prize.”
“I liked the golfing, the remote control cars and the bean bag toss,” says Lucas, 6. “I liked getting my blue prize tickets. I got a happy face picture, a monkey and a stamp.”
“The goal of today’s event is to build community and raise funds for our school,” says principal Mary Martinez.