The Alternative Press

SUMMIT, NJ - Saturday afternoon, students, parents and teachers kicked off the school year at Jefferson Elementary School in Summit at the annual Fall Festival organized by the Parent Teacher Organization.  

There were enough games and sugary treats to keep the kids active all day. Co-chairs Meme Harris and Katie Hellings worked during the summer and throughout the past month to help make the event as fun as possible. Along with the help of volunteers, middle school students and teachers, it was definitely a success, they said.

The festival featured pumpkin painting, a cake walk, a petting zoo, scarecrow making, a dunk tank, pie throwing, food, music, face painting, sand art and fear factor for kids. The pie throwing was the biggest draw of the afternoon as the youngsters got to take aim at their dads.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding,” Hellings said. “I love the school.”

Hellings, who co-chaired for the third year in a row, said she enjoys setting up the festival and seeing the kids go wild and crazy.  Because she used to be a teacher, she said she understands what the children want in an event like this.  She feels her two children receive a great education and there is a very nurturing atmosphere in the school.

Harris, who grew up in Summit and went to Jefferson, said she attended the festival growing up, but there definitely weren’t as many games.  The afternoon was really about the kids and giving back to the school, she said.

“Jefferson is a fabulous school,” she said. “This is probably the best event that Jefferson hosts. If it raises a lot of money for the school, it’s a bonus.”

Tracy Leacock, who isn’t from Summit, has attended the event for the past three years to show support for her friend Hellings. Her daughter and Hellings’ daughter had a blast at the petting zoo and painting pumpkins, she said.  

“Every year it gets better and better,” she said.