Kids danced around with glow-in-the-dark sticks as the DJ kept the hits playing on Saturday at the second annual Tioga Fall Fest.
It is one of the PTO’s biggest fundraisers of the year, raising money for teachers and staff.
“We try to pour everything into them because they pour everything into our kids,” Tioga PTO Vice President Bethany Johnson said.
Johnson thanked the sponsors, vendors, donors, churches and volunteers who gave their time and energy to help.
“We're very grateful for the community and their support for us, and everything that we do,” Johnson said.
She added that, thanks to the sponsors, they could offer activities such as bounce houses, mechanical bull riding, face painting, popcorn and cotton candy.
“We've kind of made the decision that it's more of a community service than it is a moneymaker,” Superintendent Josh Ballinger said. “So, we're not too worried about the bottom line and just [want to] get people out and get them together.”
The festivities brought together a melting pot of school-age kids from elementary through high school.
“That's what Tioga is about,” Ballinger said.
Junior FFA member Jett Colteryahn brought his show heifer, Sweetie Pie, to use in cow patty bingo.
“It's a lot of fun getting to show off my cows,” Colteryahn said.
The ag students built a deer feeder for the silent auction, and the money raised will go back to the ag department, as it does for each department and grade level with an auction item.
“All this money that we're raising will go back into our program to help improve our shop, improve our experiences, maybe help pay for some trips or some traveling expenses along the way,” ag teacher Tanner Hash said. “So, everything that we're doing, everything that we're building here is for the students.”
Elementary Principal Ammie Scott had a table for her game, the fish bowl toss, bringing nine real fish and fake fish as prize options.
“It's fun getting to see all the kids outside of school in their element, and they see me in a different element, as well,” Scott said. “We just get to have a good time together.” The fundraising night was a success for the booths, Johnson said, adding that some teachers made over $200.
Dyslexia teacher Janet Gaston was participating in the fall festival for the first time and running a booth, since joining the Bulldogs this school year.
“It was really neat just to see the community involvement,” Gaston said. “I think that's so important. So that speaks volumes of the community itself, so I think I definitely picked the right place.”
Inside, the cafetorium was packed with people waiting in line for the haunted house, a staple event in the community.
Theater teacher Haley Hertel continued the haunted house tradition for her fifth year.
“The very first year we did it, I said, ‘never again,’” Hertel said. “It's a lot of work, and I didn't really know what I was doing, but then I saw how many people showed up and how dear it is to so many people, and I'm like, ‘OK, we'll keep going.’ And now we've got it down to a science.”
Throughout the years, the process has become more efficient.
It now takes days instead of weeks to build the haunted house, and people are sent in every 60 seconds, cutting wait times by over half compared to last year.
Although the wait time dropped, it didn't affect quality because people could hear screams from inside the haunted house in other parts of the building.
Hertel said students had full creative autonomy over decorations.
“It is a victory, because, at the end of the day, it's just a stage with some literal tarps and a bunch of high school kids in hand-me-down costumes,” Hertel said. “So, the fact that my kids buy in so hard that it's actually scary, but also that the community does, it's awesome.”
