Friday, Nov. 28, 2008

BY KIM HUGHES | CAROLINA FOREST

Carolina Forest Elementary School marked its 13th birthday with its annual Founder's Day celebration Nov. 15, and teachers, students, families and members of the business community turned out to commemorate the occasion.

This popular event offered food, games, inflatables, a silent auction, cake walk, themed gift baskets, music, raffles and fun for everyone.

Founder's Day is the school's biggest fundraiser, bringing in between $25,000 and $30,000 each year. Melissa Spearman, the school's principal, said some of that money has already been earmarked for technology and literacy.

"With the economy the way it is, we were worried we wouldn't have a good enough turnout,"she said, but large crowds throughout the day dispelled that thought.

Spearman said she was somewhat worried that Mother Nature wasn't going to cooperate, based on forecasts given earlier in the week and that morning.

"But we committed to doing it outside," she said. Although it was a bit breezy, no rain fell during the afternoon.

One new activity added this year was horseback rides. Mac Smith, one of the school's physical education coaches, brought his two quarter horses, Bob and Apples, and they turned out to be very popular.

"The lines have been long all day," Spearman said. "Kids love horses."

Smith said he happily agreed to bring the horses as a way to get out of sitting in the dunking booth.

The event is truly a collaborative one. Each classroom organizes a theme basket that people can bid on that day. Themes this year included gardening, photography, barbecuing, pets, sports and sports team, needlepoint and sewing, holidays and more.

Local food vendors, including Sonic, Tavern in the Forest and Domino's, and other community businesses turned out to support a good cause.

Kim Hughes lives in SpringLake.