The 27th annual Riverside Christian School Apple Festival was held in Washougal, Wash., on Oct. 8, 2017. Church members and school families volunteered for weeks to prepare for the largest school fundraiser of the year. The volunteers spent two Sundays in October making pies and dumplings. They baked and froze more than 800 dumplings and 300 pies that were available for pick-up before and on the day of the festival. On the day of, they served pies and dumplings hot out of the oven with ice cream. As in the past, all pies and dumplings sold out.
The Apple Festival has been a fixture in the community for 27 years. With gorgeous weather, more than 1,500 people came to kick off fall in a festive way. Crowds poured in, visiting the 36 vendors selling local goods. The apple pies and famous apple dumplings sold out by 2 p.m. Young and old alike had fun trying out the apple slingshot and the Nerf gun shooting gallery. Kids enjoyed pony rides, face painting and balloon art, as well as sweet treats and a jumpy castle. Camas-Washougal Fire brought a firetruck for the kids to enjoy. The pie-eating contest is a favorite tradition, and this year’s contest did not disappoint.
As part of the community service outreach program, students visited local businesses and handed out posters advertising for the upcoming festival. The entire school is so thankful to the community for their support. A local farm allowed volunteers to pick the apples off the ground for the apple slingshot game. Another local business donated 100 pumpkins as a festive decoration.
In an interview with a local reporter about the event, Heidi Kruger, Riverside Christian School principal, said, “The Apple Festival is a wonderful thing for the students and community at Riverside. Everybody gets involved, whether they are helping sell the apples, organizing games for the kids, participating in the pie-eating contest or serving hot apple pie. It is such a good way to get everybody involved.”
When asked later in the interview what was her favorite thing about Riverside, Kruger smiled and said, “The kids. What we do here — everything — it’s all about the kids."
Kruger also said that “75 percent of the funds go back into the classrooms to help the students and enrich their opportunities with technology like iPads and SMART Boards. Some of the funds are going to our outdoor education area and summer camp. Twenty-five percent of it goes into financial aid to help enable more students to attend here and get a Christian education.”
After a few days off, Riverside staff and volunteers started preparing for the school's other large event, the spring school auction, which will be in April.
For more information about Riverside Christian School, visit www.riversidesch.com.
