Annual fundraiser supports field trips, assemblies and classroom technology
Isabella, Sarah and Daphne enjoy the Palisades Elementary School’s carnival. Photo by Madison May
Local musicians and Palisades Elementary School alumni (L to R) Drake Abrahamsson, Chris Baker and Michael Isacs form the band MCD. Here, the trio pauses from playing hits at the Pooper Bowl. Photo by Madison May
Cooper Moore rides high on an Orange County Sheriff’s Department motorcycle. Photo by Madison May
Palisades Principal Steve Scholl (center, referee shirt) is joined by cake walking students at parents at the school’s annual carnival. Photo by Madison May
Caleb Salazar shows off his hotdog Saturday at the Palisades Elementary School carnival. Photo by Madison May
Pictured (L to R) Lorenzo Lutizetti, Moleah Casillas, Haven Canullo and London Watkins show off their cotton candy. Photo by Madison May
Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputy Brian Hall teaches carnival goers about safety. Photo by Madison May
Jacob Goodwin dives into a colorful snow-cone. Photo by Madison May
A family poses with the Pooper Bowl’s mascot. Photo by Madison May
Julian Bonilla tries his luck at a carnival game. Photo by Madison May
Pictured (L to R) Anna Villar, Marley Gowdy and Brooke Petrucci pose for a photo Saturday at Palisades Elementary’s annual carnival. Photo by Madison May
Mason Dalton sets up a ring toss game. Photo by Madison May
Lilah and Daisy Kopenhefer enjoy the festivities Saturday at Palisades Elementary School. Photo by Madison May
Carter Hill, 6, gets a Mohawk shaped by Nickie Hill. Photo by Madison May
Kyle, Max, Jordan and Spencer from Sunrise Tai Kwon Do stop for a photo after their martial arts demonstrations. Photo by Madison May
By Andrea Papagianis
Keeping with a pre-Super Bowl tradition, Palisades Elementary School hosted its annual “Pooper Bowl” and carnival Saturday, a day prior to kick-off at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Carnival games took over the schoolyard, as kids and adults hopped across the finish line in sack races, lobbed rings at soda bottles, picked colorful animal designs to adorn their faces, walked for a chance to win a coveted cake prize and learned safety lessons from Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies.
The main event though, is modeled after a Super Bowl game where participants purchase a square and win money when the quarter ending score corresponds. The Pooper Bowl, as it is called at Palisades, involves a grid—laid out atop a grass field—and a horse. Two winners took home $250 after the day’s mascot pooped on their square.
“It is a super-pooper weekend,” said Palisades Principal Steve Scholl.
The unusual game has drawn thousands of parents, students, staff and community members over the years to raise funds for curriculum, field trips, electronic learning programs, physical education and assemblies at the Capistrano Beach elementary school.
“This is so important to our whole school because the parents love to be involved and love to contribute in some form to their children’s education,” Scholl said.
The event was put on by parents at the school. Donations were made from numerous local businesses including Killer Dana and Hobie surf shops, The Surfin’ Cowboy and Brawner Boards. Kung Fu students at Sunrise Tai Kwon Do performed demonstrations, and the band MCD, made up of Palisades’ alumni, played hits throughout the day.
“I heard so many positive comments from kids, parents, neighbors and even the sheriff’s department, which had a booth,” said Denise Villar, president of the Palisades PTA. “It really takes the combined efforts of so many … and believe me, no part was too small.”