If you were a kid that just wanted to be a kid, Arcola Day Care Spring Fling was the place to be on April 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The carnival fundraiser, with more than 100 people in attendance was a success in all senses of the word. The kids had a fantastic time evident by the grins on their faces, the parents took in the opportunity to play with their children and visit with other parents at the event, and the event raised a substantial amount of money for the day care.
The day care cleared over $6,400 for the one-day event and the money will be put to good use. Hilarie Jochems, director of the day care, said "basically, the money raised will be used for enhancing the learning environment for the kids. We will be using it to update things, as well as working on the yard this summer to put in a garden and enhance the outdoor play space for the kids. Some of the money will also be used for the programming, and we hope to offer the summer days camps here again that we offered last year."
The event included a number of different fundraisers. One of the highlights of the event for the parents was the opportunity to bid on the children's artwork that was available for auction. Two of the canvases went for $50 each, with good-natured bidding wars putting smiles on the adult's faces. Comments of how great the kids had done floated around the room. This, in addition to the Chinese auction provided the adults a little entertainment that was "just for them."
The day care also received sponsorship from several organizations within the area. Rather than charging an entry free, donations were received from event patrons. The carnival concessions were a big hit with its caramel apples, hot dogs and popcorn. While the treats were delicious, no one could keep the kids from the carnival games.
Face painting, the bouncy castles, the duck pond and needle-in-a-haystack were highlights of the event. Children ripped through the newspaper haystack looking for a hidden object, smiles were found on the children in the bouncy castle, and children and families tested their skills at the duck pond. The face painting, a highlight of the event, made young children into butterflies, dinosaurs and Spiderman.
Jochems felt in general, the event was a real success. "Overall, every aspect of the carnival was busy. As a whole, it was a great big hit. For the first one, I felt that it went really well. The families had a nice place to takes their kids, where they could run around and take in some activities. I was really happy with the fundraiser because it was very family-oriented. It wasn't where the parents were given a book of something to sell. It was an event that the families could have fun and experience the day together. And then they could donate what they felt they could."
"I would really like to thank our sponsors, the board members and the staff for all of the hard work they put into the event. Without all of their help, we wouldn't be able to put on such a successful event. And a big thanks goes out to all of the families that attended and support the day care on an on-going basis."
