聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Organizers of the first KCI Winter Carnival are 鈥渧ery pleased鈥� with the experience and have learned much regarding how to make it better next year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Kamsack Comprehensive Institute band students and parents organized the carnival from 4 p.m. to about 8 p.m. on February 20 as a 鈥渇un time鈥� for families, as well as being a fundraiser for the band program.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here was never a lull; there was always activity,鈥� said Darren Kitsch, the band instructor and an organizer of the event, which was organized as a way to get young families out of the house on a winter day to enjoy fun.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Band students and their parents made and then operated about 15 stations, he said. At each station, contestants used their pre-purchased tickets in order to participate, usually at games of chance.
聽Many people donated items for the auction, which included pieces of students鈥� art, he said. Mike Tourangeau of Cote First Nation, brought a team of horses and sleigh to offer sleigh rides.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e did this as a way of building a community within the band program and have the band more visible in the community,鈥� Kitsch said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n total we raised over $1,000 for the band program,鈥� he said, adding that the band parents plan to hold another winter carnival next year and even expand on it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e agreed that February is a good time to dwell on a fun winter experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e expect interest will grow as the event grows. There is much more that we could do.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢any of the band parents said that they had a lot of fun.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Kitsch said that next year they will develop a plan so that live music can be integrated into the winter carnival.
