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Cheyenne, 9, (left) and her sister Emma Wadford, 10, liked the Patriotic basket best at Nobleboro Nonsense on Friday. The sisters helped make the basket with their classmates in the 3/4 combination class. (Eleanor Cade Busby photo) |
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By Eleanor Cade Busby
Nobleboro Central School held its annual fundraiser on April 11. Over 250 guests attended the fun family school event. It was not a dinner, exactly. It was not just a raffle.
Michelle York, co-chair of this event with Michael Johnson, PTO president was pleased by the turn-out.
“It’s a delight to see the community and even people from surrounding towns turn out like this,” she said. “We’ve seated about 250 people for dinner and attendance is up from
last year.”
“Nobleboro Nonsense” was started seven years ago by the school’s PTO to answer budgeted and unexpected needs at the school.
Student fundraisers no longer go door-to-door, for a variety of reasons, including safety.
“We do so well with this fundraiser that we have been able to eliminate things like kids [going] out selling magazines or candy bars,” said co-chair Michelle York. “The typical
fundraisers keep up to 40 percent of the money that students raise to pay for the products they sell. We keep 100 percent with this event.”
The school and supporters collected donations of everything from gift cards to local restaurants to an iPad Mini, furniture, toys, plants and specially-themed gift baskets made
by each NCS class.
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Eliza Spear and Ben Sawyer decide to have a friendly competition for the candy basket at the raffle on Friday. (Eleanor Cade Busby photo) |
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Students brought items donated by family and friends, and teachers helped create the themed baskets for raffle using these treasures. People attending purchased raffle tickets,
dropping them into the envelopes of the prizes they hoped to win.
Dozens of tables were filled with items of universal appeal. Raffle tickets were kept reasonable at five for $1, so even the youngest guests could play along.
Dinner was cooked and served by a team of parent and teacher volunteers. Nobleboro Central School principal Ann Hassett was dishing up food at the end of the line.
Music, provided by student-DJs Emma Colwell and Nick Mercer, added a festive air to the evening events.
The success of “Nobleboro Nonsense,” besides being financial, was drawing in crowds. With few places for communities to gather together just for fun, the school cafeteria filled
with people greeting old friends and laughter rang in the air.
Children introduced their friends to their parents and parents met each other to swap stories about their kids.
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The Lafrenaye family, who lost their home in a fire last winter, were at Nobleboro Nonsense to enjoy the food and company, and are (from left): Jayden, Stephanie, Brea, Paige, and Jason Lafrenaye. (Eleanor Cade Busby photo) |
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People with no ties directly to the school came for the camaraderie. Monika Yaekel was there for that reason. “I don’t have any kids or grandchildren here,” said Yaekel, “but I
enjoy this and support this idea. Everyone has fun and it’s a safe way for the kids to help their school.”
According to York, “Nonsense” has raised $19,910 since it began. Funds are not added to the school budget, but are distributed based on teacher requests and sometimes for
special projects.
This year the physical education department at the school was given $1000 to supplement the program. “We are excited about the Planetarium for the whole school, also,” said
York.
“Nobleboro Nonsense” yearly brings the school and community together for a common goal, raising money to support programs outside the budget. After a long, hard winter, it was
just a perfect time for some ‘nonsense.’
