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Area kids come to campus for Carnival
 Media Credit: Christine Johnson/Editor Grace Condon, 2, plays with a stuffed bunny during the Carnival Cruise Saturday afternoon in Shoemaker Hall. Children from all over the St. Cloud area attended the event, which was sponsored by the Shoemaker Hall Council.
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Kids, corn dogs and cotton candy came together for Carnival Cruise, Shoemaker Hall's annual spring celebration uniting the college community with the children of St. Cloud.
According to the event's volunteer coordinator, junior Amber Mastro, the Carnival Cruise has been going on for about 10 years, but this is the first year the event was highly publicized.
"Normally we just call a list of organizations we think would be interested in attending, but this year we were in the St. Cloud Times and on the radio, too," Mastro said.
Children in attendance came from a variety of local organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Anna Marie's Shelter and local Boy and Girl Scout troops. Both the big and little kids benefited from the event.
"It's really fun getting to see the kid's smiling faces, and they are so happy for the little stuff that they win," W.W. Holes sophomore resident and volunteer Heather Wahle said.
Carnival Cruise, sponsored by Shoemaker Hall, provided children with a variety of activities, games and prizes. Games included boat pond, golf shot, beanbag toss, penny slide, ring toss, go fishing, baseball bowling and pin the tail on the Husky. There were also activities that allowed children to be creative while having a good time, such as bead making, finger painting and face painting.
"I painted about 30 kids' faces," freshman Shoemaker resident Debbie Peterson said. "And that's including some college-age kids too."
Fifty volunteers took one of two shifts during the day: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. or 12-3 p.m. Volunteers helped with face paintings, administrating games and serving as activity leaders.
Between game playing and face painting, student volunteers led groups of children outside to participate in other activities.
"We had a basketball shootout, a water balloon toss, a burlap sack race and an egg relay," Mastro said.
Prizes for participants varied and were found to be satisfactory by the children such as 4-year old Faith Solinger-Hillenbrand, who proudly pulled a pink and blue whistle out from under a heap of candy in her little white prize bucket.
Food was also provided for the children and volunteers. In keeping with the carnival theme, corn dogs, Rice Krispie treats, lemonade and cotton candy were available.
Mastro estimated about 70 children turned out for the event financed by Shoemaker's hall council and community donations.
"Seeing the kids, and seeing them smile, is honestly the best part," Mastro said.
"It's really fun to get to know the little kids and make sure they are having fun," Wahle said.
Although Shoemaker Hall director Andrea Lawrence will no not be the hall director next year, Mastro hopes the new director will continue the Carnival tradition.
"I would like to do this again next year, and for sure help out in whatever way I can. It is well worth the effort," Mastro said.
Kristen J. Kubisiak can be reached at: [email protected]
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