Letter from Shelby MacLeish

Please Support Crayon Carnival

As we all recover from the excitement of the holidays and settle into the long, cold winter, community events can provide a bright social highlight for everyone. For decades, the Cooperstown PTA has hosted the Crayon Carnival at the school as a family-friendly and entertaining fundraiser. Last year, the generous financial support of the Cooperstown Central School community allowed us to host this event with no admission charge, and we were thrilled to see so many families enjoying themselves on a chilly spring morning, as it was rescheduled due to a March snowstorm.

The Cooperstown PTA is incredibly grateful for the generous donations we received through our direct giving campaigns in 2023 and 2024. The funds raised have supported educational programs such as summer music lessons, high school field trips, and student-of-the-month awards. We have even added new programs, including community Bingo and pizza night, hosted in 2023 and 2024, and scheduled again for February 13, 2025.

Successful community events require both financial support and volunteers, and we urgently need your help. The Crayon Carnival was popular last year, drawing more than 250 children and family members. However, we faced a shortage of volunteers, making it challenging to run the event smoothly. To ensure that the Crayon Carnival is safe and enjoyable for everyone in 2025, we need at least 20 adult volunteers committed to working two-hour shifts to help with setup, supervision, and clean-up. No experience is necessary, and you can even volunteer while your kids play. We understand that schedules are busy, so we welcome volunteers who are only available for this one big event—there’s no need to attend PTA meetings or volunteer for other programs. We are currently scheduling vendors and organizing activities, but we need to finalize our commitments and organize volunteers by Monday, February 10. Visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44A8AB2FA5FEC25-54589929-crayon to sign up for a volunteer shift, or contact the Cooperstown PTA at cooppta@gmail.com. We must have 20 volunteers signed up by February 10th in order to run the Crayon Carnival. Sign up today to help make this Cooperstown tradition a fun, family-friendly success in 2025!

Shelby MacLeish
President, Cooperstown PTA