Annual Winter Carnival Draws Crowd of 'Roughly 1,500'

It was Saturday but the classrooms and hallways of the could not have been busier with students and families moving from room to room to enjoy all the activities of this year’s Winter Carnival.

“The school was certainly busting at the seams for the better part of the event and everyone seemed to have a great time,” said Karen McCarthy, who co-chaired this year’s event with Terry Corbett.

The Winter Carnival is geared toward children in preschool through third grade and is the main fundraising event put on by the Memorial and Wheelock CSA.  The proceeds are shared between the two schools. 

Organizers say it will take a few weeks to determine the final amount raised at the event, but said they raised $11,000 last year for each school.  They roughly estimate that 1,500 people attended this year’s event.

 Five-year-old Brendan Mak was one of those people.

“I know that guy, he cleans our school,” said Mak right before he tried to soak Custodian George in the Silly Shower.  “I was trying to get him wet.”

Mak was one of several children (and some adults) who lined up to throw a ball into a hole to set off a mini-shower-spray onto an adult sitting inside the shower booth.  Other Silly Shower participants included Mrs. Trasher and Mr. Grace.

Brenna Herring, also 5, was having fun in the Sand Art and Face Painting room.

“I’m using my favorite colors, they’re all my favorite,” said Herring while contemplating the next color to put in her bottle. 

“It’s great and it raises a lot of money,” said Brenna's mother, Heather, adding that this was their first year at the event.  “After this, she’s going to the cotton candy, and the bouncy house, and to decorate one of the cookies.” 

Golf enthusiast Charlie Herrick, 2 ½ years old, enjoyed the putt-putt golf game several times, often giving the ball some much needed guidance right toward the hole.

“He’s done this, basketball, the soccer kick, hockey, the sand art and the water yo-yos,” said his father Jeff.  “But we keep coming back to golf.”

A map was provided to help Carnival-goers find various activities such as the Bean Bag Toss, Basketball Shoot, Moon Walk, Ice Fishing, Sandy Candy, Punk Hair, Tic Tac Toe, Cookie Decorating, Sand Art, Ring Toss, Face Painting, Guess How Many?, Water Yo-Yos, Obstacle Course, Putting Green, Inflatable Slide, Hockey Shoot, Cotton Candy, Soccer Kick, Popcorn, Nerf Archery High Striker, Pong Ping, Treasure Hunt, and Wheel of Fortune. 

Parents were encouraged to “play” in the library where hundreds of items – valued from $5 to “priceless” – were up for bid as part of this year’s Silent Auction.

Items included autographed sports memorabilia; tickets to shows, concerts, museums, local children’s attractions; family four-packs to F1 racing package, 5 Wits at Patriot Place, and CoCo Key Water Resort; gift certificates to local businesses including restaurants, auto detailing, computer services, art lessons, dance classes, karate lessons, and hair salons; tours of various places such as the Medfield Fire Department, and television station Channel 5 or Fox 25; and other “priceless” items included a ride in a Medfield Police car, pizza or ice cream with Principal Trasher, baking cookies with Mrs. Paget or Mrs. Pollock, and pizza with Mrs. Green.

One of the hottest items mid-way through the day was a birthday party with Mr. Grace for up to 30 kids.  The bidding was up to $190 at noon. 

One of the many classrooms was Basket Bonanza Raffle Headquarters where basket themes included “Summer Vacation,” “Learning is Fun,” “It’s a Playdate,” “Spring is in the Air,” “Family Fun,” “Girl Power, Just for Girls,” “Boys Rule, Just for Boys,” “Be an Athlete,” and “American Girl.”  Children could also enter to win a Nintendo 3DS.   

The Winter Carnival is a continuation of what used to be called the "Fun Fair," said McCarthy, of the event that was then outdoors and held in May. "So, through this process we've been raising money for these two schools for many, many years."

The annual event raises money for the Memorial and Wheelock CSAs who put it toward supplies and educational initiatives for the elementary schools.