Fun(d) Fest

The Fun(d) Fest was the first big fundraiser of this year, and my first fundraiser as a member of the Nola group. I spent most of my time washing cars, which was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be; the cold water was pretty refreshing after standing in the mid-day sun, and there was music blaring out of the Libonate's car to listen/sing to. The only problem with working at the car wash was that it was situated near the bake sale table, and I could smell all of the various pies and breads, which made me unnecessarily hungry (A few friends [Andrew, Carly and Kevin] and I eventually caved and bought an apple pie for ourselves and scarfed it down inside). I got the opportunity to talk with a few people I didn't know very well, and danced awkwardly with a few people I now know even better. Apart from the fun we all had, the group worked hard all day: people switched jobs when needed and helped wherever they could. And when the time came to clean up everyone literally pulled their weight by dragged the tables covered in knick knacks and books inside. The next day we pulled everything back out again and kept working. The people who had worked the previous day continued with the same enthusiasm and work ethic no matter how tired they were from the day before. The final job was to package and send out the remaining yard sale items to Savers, and the front of the school looked strangely empty without them. I may have been a bit tired after 2 days of work, but I could ignore the feeling because I knew we had successfully competed our first big fundraiser, and that we had all grown closer in the process.

- Ally Waxman

My First Fun(d) Fest Experience

Fun(d) Fest was my first actual event in NOLA. To be honest I had never gone to Fun(d) Fest and did not know what to expect at all. I was on the Baking Committee( if you want to call it that). It was a fun process deciding different foods we could bake along with trying to think of fun games and activities. I think one of the bigger experiences I had with this event was at two separate times. Those events being as cliché as it might sound were being able to bound with some new people in NOLA. This event allowed me to make new friends with Laura.  Although I have had classes before with her I have never really known her. However, the Friday before Fun(d) Fest Sam, Laura, and I went to Sam's to bake an assortment of bake goods. We were all able to not only bake together but, I also got to know each of them much more. I learned that Laura does not cook or bake often, however that changed by the end of the day as she helped us and she learned to make different pies and breads. I also got to bond with Liz Marie and Sam again on the day of the actual event. I don't think I have laughed that much with someone like I did with Liz. The whole time we were trying to get people to come and get their cars washed, I was entertained. It is experiences like these, that last a lifetime. Although it is more then wonderful to help others, doing so should not be a burden. It should be enjoyable but, it also should be done along with friends that make us happy and laugh. I am excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for not only me but for us as a whole group.

~Evelyn J. Toppi