A scouting group in Chilliwack is hosting its first ever fundraiser carnival.
The inaugural Scouts Community Carnival by the 6th Chilliwack Scouts takes place on Saturday, June 25 and includes heaps of games, free outdoor activities, a raffle, vendors and more.
It’s a fundraiser for the local scouting group and the No One Left Behind program which helps financially disadvantaged kids participate in scouting.
The event will take place both outside at Watson Glen Park and inside at Sardis Sports Complex.
Gina Hunter, event organizer, has two sons who have been in scouts for the past four years. She came on as a scouter a year ago and has been planning the carnival for the past year.
“The main goal of the carnival is we want people to come out and have fun and not pay an arm and a leg for it. That’s why the costs are so low,” she said.
Hunter has created 12 games that are all custom-designed and custom-built. Ten of those games will cost $1 per play and two will cost $2 per play. People can buy a punch card (starting at $5) at the ticket booth and kids have the chance to win prizes playing the games.
The games she’s created include ‘Silly Squirrels’ which is a Plinko-style game involving nuts and squirrels, ‘Nature Friends’ where kids toss food into various sized baskets with a chance to take home a cuddly friend, ‘Lollipop Tree’ where some lollipops come with an extra surprise, and ‘Tic-Tac-Toad.’
Money that comes in from the games, in addition to the raffle and sponsorship, is how the scouting group will be raising funds.
In addition to the games, there will be free outdoor activities so folks can see what scouting is all about
Hunter asked a number of kids what they like to do best when scouting, and she planned the activities around that.
The free outdoor activities will be led by scouters and include a mini obstacle course, building crafts, grass skis (where people walk together on sets of two-by-fours), beaver buggy and cub car races, and tent racing where people can see how fast they can pitch a tent.
READ MORE: Beaver Buggies zip to finish line in classic Chilliwack Scout races
Emergency vehicles including a fire truck, ambulance and possibly a police car will also be on site.
Inside Sardis Sports Complex will be about 30 vendors, stuffy riders and a bouncy castle.
There’s also food vendors, booths and displays, and a raffle. Three of the bigger raffle items are a three-night stay at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, two round-trip WestJet tickets, and a day tour in the Lower Mainland for up to 24 people from Moose Travel Network.
“Another reason we’re having the carnival is to raise awareness that scouts are here… and get more kids involved in the program and share what it’s about,” Hunter said.
Between the two local scouting groups – 6th Chilliwack and 1st Fairfield – there are more than 100 youth involved in the Scouts Canada program. Kids as young as five can join and it’s open to youth up to age 26.
The inaugural Scouts Community Carnival is set for Saturday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Watson Glen Park and Sardis Sports Complex (5725 Tyson Rd.). Admission is free, but the punch cards for the 12 games cost money.
For more, go to scoutscarnival.com. Those wanting to be a sponsor or vendor can contact Gina Hunter at gina.hunter@6thchilliwack.ca.
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