We Care Foundation holds annual fundraiser

SUPERIOR – Autumn was heralded into Superior on Saturday during the fourth annual We Care Foundation Fall Festival fundraiser at the gym of the old schoolhouse.

According to Dennis Yarnall, treasurer of the We Care Foundation, the festival came about as a fairly small idea.

“There was an idea for a fundraiser one year and we’ve been doing it in one form or another ever since,” said Yarnall.

The festival featured vendors, games and fresh apple cider. The vendors sold items from quilts and blankets to decorative home items. The games varied in complexity from trying to draw a sucker with a black end to rebounding a ball into a basket. There was also an arts contest and a booth for kids to decorate a Halloween candy bucket to take home. Temporary ‘tattoodles’ were also available courtesy of Parris Young.

Entries to the art contest were drawn, made of construction paper, glitter and decorative Halloween shapes. Artist’s inspiration to their crafting ranged from the truly focused, who drowned out their surroundings in pursuit of the perfect haunted house or cat, to groups who chatted away as they worked, comparing notes on their entry’s progress.

The entries were placed in four judging categories: below six years old, six to eight years old, eight to 12 years old and older than 12. Entries were labeled with the artist’s contact information so that they could be notified if their entry won and arrange pickup if they wanted it back after the contest. One winning entry from each category was selected.

Playing the games was simple. Tickets, which could be exchanged for the games and other items, were sold in strips at the door. Prizes for the games were primarily small toys, bubbles and puzzles, though the ring toss allowed winners to keep the beverage they ringed. Where some players gave a simple toss of the ball or ring others were seriously involved, focusing on the throw as if they were a pitcher at the World Series.

For those not looking for an artistic or physical challenge, there was the cupcake walk. In the variation of musical chairs, a participant had to rush to a number when the music stopped and a number was pulled from a bag. The person whose number was called got a cupcake as a prize. Kids who did not win a game still walked away with a prize, however, with Halloween stickers going out to everyone who played any of the games.

A fall treat was available in the form of fresh apple cider that was made on-site using a hand-crank juicer. People could watch the whole process, from sorting usable apples to juicing them, in one corner of the gym. The end product was sold for a dollar a cup, or one ticket, and was available hot or cold.

Yarnall said that vendors purchased booth space to sell their wares. There were three vendors, not counting where the cider was made and sold. Yarnall said that, while there have been more in past years, the organization was unable to get the word out to as many vendors this year.

Walking into the old gym put one in the mood for the festival. Upon entering, the first thing seen along the southeastern wall were the vendors with a table set up opposite them, at the end of the gym’s access ramp, to welcome people and sell tickets. Going down the ramp, a visitor was greeted by the sight of the kids playing. All along the back wall, and over about half of room’s floor space, were the games and the preparation of the apple cider.

Overall, the Fall Festival seemed to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

The We Care foundation is dedicated to providing help for “people that fall through the cracks” and don’t get help from government programs. The money provided by the foundation helps people with gas, rent and other expenses they may not be able to afford. According to Yarnall, area churches have begun donating money as well.

Yarnall said the organization’s marketing efforts have extended all across Mineral County. Attendance at future festivals and donations are welcome from anyone in the area.