the fate of the fete

We had the annual fundraising fete for our co-op childcare centres last week. And contrary to popular belief, I found that fetes can be fun!

I joined the co-op fundraising committee this year as a way to volunteer for something that would also benefit my kids as well as our community. Look I don't really know why, it's not like I have heaps of time and energy to spare, but you know the feeling you get when you realise that all you're doing is take take taking? So I had that feeling and on a whim joined the committee (it may also have had something to do with the polite letter the committee sent to the parents calling us all slackarses cause no one would volunteer - in the nicest possible way of course).

I have to say it has been really enjoyable. I get the warm mushy feeling that I am giving something back, I have plenty of skills to contribute and the result of the fete (our major fundraising activity for the year) was that it was a resounding success so I even get to feel good that I was a part of it all. I contributed my graphic design skills by designing the poster and had a hand in one of the stalls this year which made quite a bit of dough. Hubs even had a stall drawing caricatures which the kids loved so even he came away with warm fuzzies.

The long-winded point I am trying to get to though is that our fete was not only a success, it was actually fun. Most fetes seem to have the usual stalls and once you have done a round you're out of there. Ours had a bar (a major part of the success methinks), live music and we hold it in a park so the kids have the choice of free play equipment or the animal nursery/jumping castle/train ride option as well.

It was good to see friends of ours turn up at the start and stay til after it ended, great to see you there guys! Surely a sign of non-lameness that makes me feel I've been part of something good! And I guess fetes are for kids but I think I'd have enjoyed ours without the kiddies too - I may even have been able to sit and drink the one glass of vino I had in one sitting rather than in 4 separate sessions between running after the overstimulated 3 year old.

Fetes don't have to be lame people! They can be fun, they might even be cool... It is possible to raise money and have a good time doing it...who'd have thought?