Wolff Elementary uses fall festival as fundraiser

By Frances Vanderploeg

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008 | midnight

Laughter and joyous screams could be heard down the street as hundreds of Elise L. Wolff Elementary School students took over Sonata Park Oct. 23 for the annual fall festival.

The picnic is held to thank the parents and give back to the students, PTA Third Vice President Debra Gorov said. With an additional 200 students in the school this year, the event was larger than usual.

Costume-clad children ran around every square inch of the park, playing games and sports, participating in a dance contest and checking out pumpkins carved for another contest.

Creative kids used their skills to carve out various scenes and faces, including Cinderella's horse-drawn carriage, Santa Claus and a witch.

As part of the festival, the fourth grade teachers were hoping to use the high turn-out to raise money for an end-of-the-year trip to Carson City.

They offered games such as the 2-liter bottle ring toss, as well as a chance for children to purchase boo grams for their friends. Neither event is normally offered at the festival.

Fourth grade teacher Myrna Obregone said she hoped to raise enough money through various fundraisers so that every fourth grader could take the trip without having to pay. That will probably take $30,000 to $40,000, she said.

"It's a tough time to initiate the Carson City trip," she said. "A lot of families want to go but are concerned about the cost."

The teachers are trying to hold fewer, larger fundraisers so they aren't constantly asking the community to donate, she said. More are coming up, including silent auctions and a Fazoli's night, but they have yet to be scheduled.

This is the first year Wolff has offered the Carson City trip, which reinforces Nevada lessons taught during fourth grade.

Having the games was a nice complement to the atmosphere, Gorov said, as it provided students with additional activities to keep them entertained during the three-hour picnic.