School carnival set for tonight

For the third year in a row, Roosevelt Elementary Character Council will be hosting the Crusader Carnival tonight. Faculty Sponsor Bret Merseal said with the event being held for the third time, it can now be said to be an annual event.

“It took me two years to get it going once I took over character council,” Merseal said. “Last year was our second and now we can actually call it an annual thing. One year is not annual and two years is just back-to-back. Once you get to the third year, you have a tradition going.”

The carnival will feature games, carnival food and raffles for the community, all to give students the chance to celebrate the end of the school year.

Kids can purchase tickets for a $1 apiece, which will allow them to play one game, or they can purchase a $10 punch card for 15 games. Four Cardinal tickets will be raffled off that night as well.

Merseal said the carnival will be open to the public from 5 to 8 p.m., with the proceeds benefiting activities of the character council.

“It will go toward different charitable endeavors that we have,” he said. “Part of it goes toward the Reza show coming up, part will go toward the Walker Johns Foundation, part will go toward having money for next year’s Thanksgiving dinner and adopting families at Christmas.”

Last year, the event raised about $1,000 for the character council. Merseal said he hopes to see about $1,500 raised this year.

“It gets a little bigger each year,” he said. “We learn what the kids and adults both enjoy the most. The things that aren’t as big of a draw, we get rid of and try something else that might be better.”

The Crusader Carnival is sponsored by Madison County Medical Center, Impressive Auto Service, Bening Motors, Dr. and Mrs. Daman Gamble, Butterfield’s Florist, Farmington Manor, Copeland Solutions, J&D Construction, Duffe Law, EFR Motorsports, Coldwell Banker Hulsey Real Estate, Merritt Homes, STL Mustangs and C&R Masonry.

The third annual Crusader Carnival at Roosevelt Elementary will be held tonight from 5 to 8 p.m.

Jacob Scott is a reporter with the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616 or at jscott@dailyjournalonline.com.