Every April each year, the Sartell student council and NHS come together to organize Funfest, an event where kids can come and have fun at the SHS main gym. This event benefits not only the students who enjoy putting it together, but also the community at large because the profits earned are donated to a charity.
Designed for children and families of Sartell, activities and games are set up throughout the gym for an afternoon of affordable fun. But Funfest is also not only a chance for kids to have fun, but also an opportunity for the high school student leaders to practice their planning, service, and leadership skills, with each station being run by members of NHS and student council.
Despite the event’s simple concept, the set-up involved is very intricate with preparations starting months before. There are a lot of things to be considered, like advertisement, games, delegation, food, community collaboration, as well as the charities involved.
Each student also has to individually get a basket of goods either donated by a business or made by themselves for the silent auction, which is where parents and family members can bid on various items and baskets of goods from local businesses while the kids are having fun.
On the day of Funfest, all members of NHS and student council take responsibility by showing up to work the event all the way from setup to clean-up, finally executing the event they’ve prepared tirelessly for.
The beloved student advisor of both NHS and student council at Sartell, Karrie Fredrickson, was asked for some input on the most important part of Funfest, as she knows more about it than anyone else, organizing it year after year with different students.
“The most important part would be that it’s a community activity. That the reason we have the games only cost a quarter is because we want it to be a positive interaction. The high school and our student leaders are with the community to have a fun day. Because every game is a quarter, it won’t break the bank for people to come in and have a little fun with their kids. But besides that, building that component because those kids get excited and they wait every year saving their quarters, but it’s about the charity. So, you’re making an impact because we’re having fun.”
Ultimately, Funfest is a charitable event. All proceeds raised from the event are donated to a selected charity, which allows for students and families to support a cause beyond the high school. Funfest has a lot of important parts to it and together it brings a lot of impact tot he community.
