Mt. Ellis Academy students organized and hosted a free fall festival at the elementary school for local children and their families. More than 100 potential trick-or-treaters eagerly left the freezing cold and crammed into the half-court gym on Oct. 31 to enjoy the festivities.
With outside temperatures in the single digits, parents were delighted to find a warm spot for their costumed children as well as a clean and safe environment where they could spend the evening. The local Christian radio station interviewed two academy students who were helping with the fall festival and continued to remind listeners about the upcoming holiday event.
The children were kept busy as academy students coaxed them into various games such as musical chairs and doughnut-eating contests. When they weren’t participating in those contests, they could wander around to the different student-led booths, including bobbing for apples, face painting, pumpkin painting, dart throwing, football toss, fishing for prizes and bean bag toss. The favorites of the evening were undoubtedly the cardboard maze and inflatable bounce house.
Students plan to repeat the festival every year, hoping that it will continue to grow and eventually relocate to the academy gym.
Pumpkin face, Coby Wilkins, the youngest son of Darren Wilkins, MEA principal, is all smiles about his freshly painted face.
Amber Sheppler, MEA sophomore, paints a face on Monte Wilkins, MEE student.
