The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Board approves spring festival
Fair to help raise funds for school's foundation
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 1, 2007
Lincoln Consolidated Schools' officials are making plans to host a large festival this spring to raise money for the district.
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The Lincoln Educational Achievement Foundation is organizing the event, which is tentatively scheduled May 17 through 20.
Founded in April 2006, the organization raises funds through grants submitted by teachers. Operating as a non-profit organization separate from the school district, the Foundation already has distributed its first round of nine grants to Lincoln teachers, totaling $4,000, said Steve Gray, Foundation president.
"The grants were small in the first round," Gray said.
The Lincoln Board of Education approved the use of school property for the event unanimously Monday night. If the festival is successful, it could quadruple the Foundation's operating budget.
"It all depends on the community and how they're willing to accept it," said Jeff Williams, marketing director for Wade Shows, a company that has shown interest in running the event.
"It has to be a partnership of people working together," he said.
Wade Shows runs similar events all over the country. In Michigan, Wade Shows runs the events at the Livonia Spree and the midway at the Michigan State Fair.
Williams said the company has about 110 rides available for events. Though he can't be sure, Williams said there could be about 20 or 25 rides at the Foundation's festival.
At a typical event, he said about 40 percent of the rides are children's rides and 40 percent are for adults. The remaining 20 percent are made up of "spectaculars."
He said the Demon Drop was an example.
As financial details are still be negotiated, Foundation officials said they would take in about 20 percent of the profits made from the event and possibly from concession sales as well.
Members of the Foundation are hoping to make the festival an annual event. After this inaugural festival, a long-term contract could be worked out between Wade Shows and the Foundation. However, Williams said the company would like to make $80,000 this year.
"We'd have to feel that that revenue is available," Williams said. "If we see potential we'd do it again."
In order to make the festival a success, Williams said the group would have to raise awareness and get the word out so people come out to the event.
Sheryl DiGiamberardino, a Lincoln parent who presented the idea of hosting a festival, said the organization is in the process of forming a publicity committee.
She said the group would be contacting several media outlets and organize other advertisement for the event.
While attendance is important, Williams said Wade Shows does take weather in account when negotiating a long-term contract.
"In the spring that's always a factor," he said. "We'll see how well it works out."
Before the board approved the use of property on Monday night, many were confident that the idea would be approved. Several school board members actually sit on the LEAF Committee.
"We have a lot of support by the board, and the district as a whole," Digiamberardino said. "I think that they are for it."
Board members voiced some concerns over parking during the group's earlier last month.
The event would be held in Lincoln High School's east gym parking lot.
"We're going to try to encourage students to team drive," said Lincoln Superintendent Fred Williams.
At the meeting, he said parking would be shifted to the high school's west gym parking lot and the middle school. Overflow, he said, would be directed to the lawn on the far west side of the high school.
"It's a good cause for one week of inconvenience for our students who might have to walk a little longer," Fred Williams said.
Aside from a fund-raiser, many are excited of the festival's potential to bring together the community.
"We're kind of in an area where we don't a have a town or something to pull everyone together." Gray said.
"Hopefully this is an event that helps us build a community out here."
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