Weaver Carnival Will Combine Fun, Fundraising

The students, staff and parents at Weaver Elementary have good cause for celebration: They recently made district history with a fourth-grade class that achieved 100 percent proficiency on state exams.

And what better way to celebrate than by throwing a carnival? Today is the 16th annual Weaver carnival. More than just a party, the event is a fundraiser that helped raise $50,000 last year for school programs.

“The carnival is a great way to bring the community together,”  Principal Erin Kominsky said. “It’s a fun event, and I hope that everyone comes out and has a good time with us.”

Admission into the carnival is free, but ride and game tickets are $1 each. There will be game and food booths, along with a giant slide, laser tag, a game truck, duck water races, burgers, pizza, and baked goods from parents, as well as from local bakeries.

According to Nicole Nixon, vice president of ways and means for the Weaver PTA, the goal of this year’s carnival is to collect between $25,000 and $30,000.

“The money goes toward specific projects, such as teacher development, school supplies and campus activities such as art programs, holiday cookie parties and the fifth-grade promotion ceremony,” Nixon said.

While the rides and games do bring in money, Nixon said, the majority of the money comes from the carnival’s silent auction. This year, 45 items will be raffled off. Auction items include an iPad2, Nintendo 3DS, a color Nook and hotel rooms in Las Vegas. To raise money for these items, the PTA collects donations from parents and seeks donations from local businesses.

For the Weaver community, the annual carnival is a big event, and one that students, teachers and parents look forward to, parents said.

“[The carnival] is important for community building because it helps bring people together and people get acquainted with the school,” said Jennifer Flaherty, president of the Weaver PTA.

Because of the carnival’s value to the community, many parents have dedicated hours to the planning process and have even gotten their children involved.

Nixon’s twins have been helping her to make baskets that will be raffled off.

“The kids are excited when they see their parents being involved,” she said. “Weaver is just such a special place for the kids. It’s such a family-oriented school community, and volunteering makes it so much better.”

The 16th annual carnival will be held Friday, Sept. 16, from 2:30-8 p.m. at the school, at 11872 Wembley Rd., Los Alamitos.

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