The annual Crossroads School family barbecue last Thursday was another rousing success as people came by the hundreds to partake of good food and good company.
Even the rain couldn’t put a damper on this party because by the time the skies opened up, many of the people already were soaked.
The annual affair was a fundraiser for student activities, but more importantly, it was a chance for the Crossroads family to get together before the summer holidays.
Principal Brian Love and teacher Jeff Johnston manned the grills and were kept busy feeding the hungry, who paid $2.50 for a hotdog or $5 for the full meal deal.
In addition to the main fare of hotdogs, smokies, Italian sausage, sauerkraut, baked beans, and assorted salads and drinks, there also was a variety of desserts for those who still had room.
Love said this year’s effort paid off yet again.
“We made more money than the Tampa Bay Lightning,” he quipped. Later estimates came in around $1,500.
There was more than just food and drink, of course. The OPP was on hand with the drunk-driving simulator, which proved to be a sobering experience for those who tried it.
The La Vallee Volunteer Fire Department also provided a static display of its equipment and also supervised the water games, which proved to be the highlight of the evening.
One no-show was Charlie Turgeon and the “Challenger”—a specially-equipped trailer designed the simulate the temperature and visibility inside a burning building.
Apparently, the Challenger had a mechanical problem and could not appear.
As well, some members of the fire department were called away to attend a traffic accident on La Vallee Road North. However, these problems did not interfere with the main event—games of water soccer and target practice.
The latter event involved using a portable water tank and trying to fire a stream of water through the hole in the centre of a circular target. The former involved two teams of kids manning a 38mm fire hose and trying to push a beach ball down the field to the finish line.
Naturally, this quickly degenerated into the mother-of-all water fights as anything that moved, including firefighters, teachers, parents, and photographers, became targets.
Even at the lowest pressure setting, the fire hoses proved to be formidable weapons and there were many who were so wet, they didn’t even notice when the rain finally came.
“The rain never even put a damper on it,” claimed Love. “We had tremendous support from the business community and the community at large.”
There also were a number of draws and raffles, as well as a silent auction. Winning the 50/50 draw ($680) was Stephanie Cousineau while Leslie Barr Kellar took home the patio table.
Other winners included Wade Johnson (party barge), Nicole Beadle (jelly bean guess), Cassidy McKinnon (licorice guess), Bailey Jewell (guess the value), and Kayla Smith (pin the nose on the principal).
There also were numerous winners at the penny table.
Crossroads secretary Kathy Pruys said there were a great many people whose contributions made for a successful evening.
“And, most especially, thank you to the families who came out and supported this event,” added Pruys. “Thanks again, and we wish you all a great summer and hope to see you again next year.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
