By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

HELENA – Children squealed with laughter as they touched the sky on the Ferris wheel while parents meandered the playground, eating funnel cake and catching up with other couples. Featuring carnival rides, food and games, Helena Elementary School hosted its annual Spring Fling fundraiser from Friday, April 12 to Sunday, April 14.

Held at the school playground, Spring Fling serves as a fundraiser for the Helena Elementary School PTO. According to PTO President Heather Leon, the Spring Fling is an opportunity for the community to come together and for HES students to make memories.

“Spring Fling is a weekend long event where our playground turns into a carnival,” Leon said. “It is a carnival wonderland for children. They can come and ride all the rides in their own playground. It’s just a magical time for them.”

This year, children soared on the swings, flew down slides and spun themselves silly in twirling dragons. In addition to the rides, the fair also featured bouncy castles and classic carnival games. Guests could win prizes by fishing for rubber ducks, throwing darts at balloons and lobbing balls at stacked cans.

Attendees could purchase HES merchandise, individual ride tickets or unlimited ride wristbands, all to raise money for the PTO. Although the school was unable to put together an estimated number of guests for the whole weekend, the PTO sold roughly 2,100 unlimited ride wristbands.

In addition to the event itself, the PTO also hosted an online silent auction, featuring items donated from local businesses and HES parents.

Between ticket sales and the silent auction, the Spring Fling raised $20,000 for the PTO.

According to Leon, the money raised by the Spring Fling each year is normally dedicated to specific projects. This year, a portion will be set aside to aid Helena Elementary School with its Blue Ribbon certification process.

“There are certain costs that are associated with going through that (Blue Ribbon) process, so we really wanted to step in and help the school as much as we can with that,” Leon said. “And then we will also be using some of the proceeds for playground improvements or different things that come up through the school year.”

And while the event is a fundraiser, Leon shared that the Spring Fling is ultimately about building community and making memories.