Sara Collins Elementary’s 60th annual Freaky Friday festival returns Oct. 18.
The fall festival will feature a variety of activities for children and parents to enjoy including games, inflatables, a silent auction and more. Ten local vendors will serve food at the event including Local Pie Pizza Co., Chocolate Menace Cookies and more.
Over 1,000 people from the elementary school and community are expected to attend this year’s festival. Suzanne Caudle, co-chair of Freaky Friday and Sara Collins Elementary parent, said they are excited to bring the community together following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the Upstate.
“I just feel like our kids really need a joyous occasion,” Caudle said. “They haven’t had as much structure. Children are so intuitive and I feel like they can sense the street or the uncertainty that has gone on.”
Raising funds
Sara Collins Elementary’s Parent-Teacher Association puts on the fall festival each year. The event serves as the elementary school’s only fundraiser and has raised around $90,000 in previous years.
The event’s proceeds come from ticket sales, t-shirt sales, community sponsorships and more. For this year’s event, the PTA also started a donor campaign called the Hundred Club as a way for families to help sponsor Freaky Friday.
A portion of the funds raised at Freaky Friday will come from the event’s silent auction, selling items such as a puppy, free braces, restaurant vouchers and more. In addition, two raffles will be held at the event, one to win Apple products and the other for a unique holiday stay at The Westin Poinsett.
Caudle said 100% of Freaky Friday’s proceeds are used by the PTA to support Sara Collins Elementary’s teachers and students. The PTA uses the funds to purchase items such as specialty chairs for students, inclusive playground equipment, books, teacher resources and more.
“Whatever we raise is going to be great but it’s more about just bringing us all together,” said Katie Wolff, co-chair of Freaky Friday and and Sara Collins Elementary parent. “We’re putting on a really fun event for kids, family and community members where they can just come and celebrate.”
Freaky Friday presented by Forge Search and Consulting will run from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 18. The event will be held at Sara Collins Elementary located at 1200 Parkins Mill Road in Greenville. For more information, visit Sara Collins PTA’s Instagram or Facebook accounts.
