04/02/09

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Vol. 2, Issue 14, April 3-9, 2009

By Nathan Wright
Dana Point Times

Pooper Bowl winner donates $500 prize back to school

SpringFest 2009 brought in an estimated $10,000 for the Palisades Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association on March 28, including $500 from the Worthington family who donated their winnings from the annual Pooper Bowl contest.

For those unfamiliar with the Pooper Bowl, it involves a horse, a field and a grid. Participants purchased squares on the grid for $10, and two winners were selected when the horse pooped on their squares. One of this year’s winners was Ann Worthington, who moments after learning she had won told school principal Melissa Murray that her family wanted to donate the $500 prize.

“It’s a bit unorthodox, but I think the school needs it more than we do,” she said. “We’ll always support our neighborhood school.”

In all, event organizers guessed the annual festival attracted several thousand students, parents, alumni and community members. 

“I thought it was a great success,” said Palisades PTA President Richard Klevit. “There was a super turnout, and it wasn’t just from our school. We had students
from all over come out and many from the community.”

Proceeds from the event went to the Palisades PTA, to pay for field trips, assemblies and special activities at the Capistrano Beach elementary school. “The PTA helps provide supplementary programs,” said Murray. “We just sent our students off to science camp with money from PTA fundraising.”

Other funds were used to pay for the Imagination Machine assembly, an activity that asks students to write stories which performers then act out for the school. “They become real life plays,” said Murray. “The students loved it. I think what they enjoyed most was it was their stories.”

SpringFest is the Palisades PTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year and included carnival games, face painting, food, a silent auction and the Pooper Bowl. “It was a fantastic event,” said Murray. “I think every single person left with a smile on their face.”

To see more photos of the event check out the Dana Point Times news blog.

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