DIXFIELD – With winter’s end nearly in sight, the Dirigo High School Class of 2013 is attempting to bring a spring-like atmosphere to town by offering a series of carnival games Friday night.

They are planned from 6 to 9 p.m. in DeFoe Gymnasium at Dirigo High School.

Class adviser Jen Whittemore said she came up with the idea to host carnival games three years ago as a new way to raise money for the graduating classes.

“I thought it was a good fundraiser to stick between the basketball and baseball seasons,” Whittemore said. “Kids love to play games at the fair, but they’re always so expensive, so we had the students make up a bunch of different carnival-type games for kids to play for an affordable price.”

Admission is $2 for adults, though children can get in for free if accompanied by an adult. A punch card that costs $5 will allow children to play 10 different games. Additional punch cards can purchased if necessary.

Among the games being offered are the ring toss, the football toss and the balloon burst, which Whittemore said were arranged by the students.

“They blew up some balloons, stuck them on a board, and we’ll have the kids throw darts at them,” Whittemore said. “It’ll be just like at the fair.”

While Whittemore said the intended audience for the carnival games is children through grade five, she said people of all ages are welcome to visit and play.

“I tell people the intended audience is for younger kids so they can expect what types of games we’ll offer,” Whittemore clarified. “You could be any age and enjoy the games. For us, it’s a fun fundraiser to do because we get to see everyone having a good time and enjoying themselves.”

The fundraiser will be the final one of the year for the Class of 2013 before they decide where they want to go for Project Graduation, Whittemore said. In addition to the carnival games, there will be food cooked by the sophomore class and prizes donated by students and parents.

“The kids will get tickets for winning games, and at the end of the night, they can trade in their tickets for a prize the way they do at Joker’s or an arcade,” Whittemore explained. “One student even donated his bike, which has barely been used, for a grand prize.”

Whittemore said if nobody wins the grand prize by the end of the night, they’ll award it to the youth who earned the most tickets from the games.

For more information, call 562-4251.

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