South Fayette carnival a treat for all
Halloween arrived early for the Butkus family from South Fayette, and costumes were not required when the clan attended the annual homecoming carnival held Sept. 26 on the high school campus.
“Our pockets are full of candy,” said Jason Butkus. “And we love candy,” he said.
Butkus then introduced his sons, Kash, 5, and Knox, 4. “These are my two candy guys,” he said.
“Candy,” they cried. “We like that and the bounce houses.”
“It’s our first time at carnival,” added their mother, Kim. “It’s a good time.”
The Thomas and Belford families also were first-time carnival attendees. They gave the event two thumbs-up.
Retired from the Army, Ralph Belford moved his wife, Carmina, and sons, Matthew and Ralph, from El Paso, Texas, into the township recently.
“We’re putting down roots. Making (South Fayette) our home,” Ralph said. “So we are out here having a good time, supporting the school and the community. We love it here and we are having fun.”
Newlyweds Kacey and Chuck Thomas are also recent residents. They purchased South Fayette sportswear and watched their sons, Chuck and Viktor participate in a variety of games and activities.
“We love it here,” Kacey said. “Everybody is pleasant and this is an exciting event. Plenty to do,” she added.
In addition to the slide, there was an inflatable obstacle course as well as a bounce house. The carnival, held from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., featured games and activities for all ages as well as an array of edible options offered by Totopo, Pittsburgh Halal, Hibachi Lou, R&G Smokeshack, Frio’s Pops, Millie’s Ice Cream, Kona Ice, Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck and menu items from Chick-fil-A.
The Little Green Machine Marching Band capped the event with a grand performance.
Even the school’s mascot made a special appearance. The Lion was a big hit with the young crowd.
“He’s fluffy,” said Abigail Barney, 7. “I liked the Lion best,” she added.
Barney attended the carnival with her sister, Caroline, and parents, Becky and Andrew.
Becky is a Bethel Park native while Andrew serves as an assistant baseball coach at South Fayette.
“We’ve been coming to carnival as a family since (Abigail) was a baby,” Becky said.
“We think the event is wonderful,” he said. “It’s an awesome bringing together of the different clubs.”
Sponsored by South Fayette’s Student Government Association, the event is designed as a community-building and fundraising activity in celebration of homecoming. Representatives from most of the high school’s 43 clubs as well as sports organizations and booster groups participated in the carnival.
“We absolutely love (carnival),” said South Fayette Elementary School assistant principal Pharlan Ives. She attended the event with her son, Faran, 3.
“It’s a wonderful way to not just like fund raise but also bring the community together. It also gets our staff together as well.”
Chloe Hall blended well with her music students as they worked to promote the arts. A 2022 SUNY-Fredonia graduate, Hall is the orchestra director. She was hoping to recruit new musicians through tryouts, sign-ups and games at the group’s booth as well as bring awareness to the school’s programs and involve the community in the orchestra.
“I think it’s wonderful the emphasis South Fayette places on the arts,” she said.
“I understand our concern for more academics such as math, science, English, etc.
However, when we are looking at public school education I firmly believe that public school education should be a well-rounded education for that individual. Well-rounded also means creating arts and creating humanity and fostering that love and we want to be a part of that.”
At South Fayette, everybody gets an opportunity to pitch in and play a role in the school’s endeavors. For example, special needs students run the high school’s souvenir shop, which offers merchandise from sportswear to sports memorabilia.
“They receive all the profits,” said paraprofessional Leslie Willis. “It’s been a wonderful thing for them.”
The special needs students also operated two additional booths – a duck pond and a fishing experience – at carnival.
“This event is amazing,” Willis said. “Oh, my gosh, the homecoming carnival is the best. It’s a great community event.”
Jitendra Yuddandi agreed. He brought his two daughters, Shanaya and Sara, to the fair.
“We are having fun,” said Yuddandi as he watched four little pink piggies compete in a hoof race for first place. “It’s great to see all the kids and their families get together and have fun.”
The student volunteers appeared to have the most fun. Hannah Yeh, Marley Fugh-Brooks and Vaishnav Santhosh had their individual reasons for participating but the end result was pleasure.
A cheerleader, Yeh was a target at the dunk tank for the third year.
The water, she said, “was not cold” and she enjoyed getting dunked. “It’s really fun. I really like the carnival. I’m actually one of the new ones that get to run it. So that’s fun, too. I look forward to it every year.”
A sophomore, Santhosh hopes to earn the Presidential Award. He needs 250 volunteer hours by the end of the school year to gain the accolade. While he is currently at the 50-hour mark, the numbers should increase because of his participation in other clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America and Health Careers Club (HOSA).
“The carnival is good for the kids. They really enjoy it. They have fun racing their siblings or friends,” said Santhosh, who manned the inflatable obstacle course.
A senior, Fugh-Brooks is a member of class council. She has volunteered at carnival for several years.
“I’m glad I am able to do something to help out our class and my school,” she added. “Plus I see so many people I know and the kids get all excited. Carnival is a great way for the community to come together.”
According to Garrett Del Re, carnival is a win-win for all. An assistant girls basketball coach, he monitors the players as they run a hoop shoot contest.
“The kids do most of the work,” he said. “Our high school girls are so good at interacting with the young kids in the community. So every opportunity that we can put them out there is great for the program.
“It’s a fun experience that helps us increase interest in the program and the younger kids interact with them. Everyone (at carnival) is able to get interest in their club activity or sport here. It’s always a good turnout, especially for a Thursday in September.”