Kristina Warden and son riding the train at the Family Fun Fest.
The Habersham County United Way kicked off its annual fundraising campaign in a big way Saturday. Campaign Chair, Deana Mote, estimates over $40,000 was raised during the Family Fun Fest in Clarkesville. Thousands turned out for the event August 29th at the Ruby C. Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville.
“It was a tremendous success,” Mote says. “There were no injuries. There were a couple of little lost kids but we reconnected them with their parents. That’s something to be said for having that many people. The camaraderie and seeing the happy faces — it’s so much fun to see!”
Mote says it took four months of intense planning and over 400 volunteers to pull off the event. She says there were a few “technical glitches” with sound from the main entertainment stage but, other than that, “It went off awesome,” she enthuses.
Fun Fest is the local United Way’s single largest fundraiser of the year.
Organizers credit student volunteers with much of the success. “I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if it had not been for Truett-McConnell and Piedmont College athletes we would not have been able to pull it off,” stresses Mote. She expresses gratitude for the clean-up crew Tallulah Falls School sent saying their efforts helped speed up the the monumental task of cleaning up the Aquatic Center and grounds after the four-hour long event.
The Fun Fest raised approximately $20,000 through ticket, food and merchandise sales. That money will be doubled by a matching grant from Ethicon’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson. Final numbers are expected later this week.
Family Fun Fest Fotos
Clarkesville, GA
August 29, 2015
