Family Dance Night a big success

Sisters Elementary School turned into a dance hall on Friday night, February 24, as the SPTC (Sisters Parent, Teacher Community group) staged its annual Family Dance Night.

The Commons was mobbed with excited children, dancing with each other and with parents to the music of The Anvil Blasters.

“It was just awesome,” said SPTC organizer Lori Boyle. “It was the biggest crowd in Family Dance Night history. The excitement was just unbelievable.”

The event was expanded this year to include a large raffle and a 50-item silent auction. According to Boyle, the raffle and auction were designed to add a fun new dimension to the event, not as a big revenue generator.

“We didn’t expect to make money,” she said. “It wasn’t a fund-raiser; it really wasn’t.”

Regardless of the intent, the SPTC managed to make about $4,500.

The raffle was particularly successful because parents put a lot of effort into creating outstanding gift baskets.

“They were very elaborate,” Boyle said. “Every single classroom had a theme.”

Parents donated one item to the theme to create massive baskets that took a half-day for SPTC members to assemble.

“We had those baskets on display the week before the event and the kids got way excited about it,” Boyle said.

Perhaps the greatest excitement was generated by the “Bow-Wow Basket” created by Mrs. Stengle’s first grade class. The basket included an “optional” Newfie-Lab puppy provided by the family of first-grader Clay English.

“Every kid wanted to win that basket,” Boyle said.

The puppy was won by Clay’s classmate Ceili Cornelius.

Boyle and the SPTC volunteers worked hard for weeks to carry off the event. Boyle said they were happy that the raffle and auction raised money, but mostly gratified that people had such a good time.

“We’ve had so many people say what a great, fun night it was,” she said.