Annual fall festival attracts hundreds

One-year-old Cruz Bolton sits on a bench in the middle of what's left of the pumpkin patch at the Fall Festival Saturday. His mom is Erica Bolton.(Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

Hundreds turned out for Saturday's fifth annual Fall Festival at the home of Lavetta Simmons.

The event benefits the local Relay for Life Chapter, which raises money for the American Cancer Society and its services, and The Sharing Bucket, a cancer support group that provides emotional and financial assistance to cancer patients and their families.

Proceeds are used for cancer research and education and to assist local cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and their family members with travel and medical expenses. It is the biggest fundraiser for the annual Relay for Life and Sharing Bucket.

Fall Festival co-organizer Lavetta Simmons, center, poses with Scott Gander, Modern Woodmen managing partner, left, and JoLynne Stainbrook, Modern Woodmen financial representative, right, in front of the new Fall Festival sign, dedicated to the memory of Simmons' brother-in-law, Dwight Driver. (Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

Judging by the state of the pumpkin patch, hundreds of people had already turned out. Simmons, a co-organizer, hosts the fundraiser each year at her home. This year, the event raised $6,669.72. Last year, proceeds came to $5,200.

Along with pumpkins, the festival featured face-painting, a bounce house, kiddy train, petting zoo and food -- from homemade doughnuts and chili to cotton candy, funnel cakes and caramel apples.

New this year were horse and wagon rides, cotton candy, Fort Scott Tiger yard signs and Fort Scott "Yellow Brick Road" doorstops available for $10 each.

Mike Gates holds his granddaughter, Scarlett McCullough, who is dressed as a pumpkin, at the fall festival Saturday. (Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

Students from local schools selected their own pumpkins to take home from a festival sneak preview Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

A woman from Cherryvale brought a quilt to the festival, which will be given away Dec. 4 at the Stocking Stuffer. The Stocking Stuffer is Dec. 3-4.

"We love it. Our kids love it," said Stacey Schnichols, who attended with her son, Weston, 4, and husband, Glen. "The pumpkin patch was the best."

Amanda Emmerson, 7, is about to try her luck at the Witch Toss, one of many games available at the festival. (Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

One-year-old Cruz Bolton would probably agree. His mother, Erica, said he wanted all the pumpkins. "That's all we've done so far," she said, adding there was a lot of stuff for children to do at the festival.

Hayden Cole, who was practicing roping, said the event gives him a chance to see his family. "I just come to help. I like to see kids have a good time," Cole said.

Kathy Wunderly and her brother, David Goltra, said cancer has touched her family's life. Their Relay for Life team is made up of siblings and is called Family Ties, and it has anywhere from 10-22 members.

"We just think this is a great cause," Wunderly said.

Topping off the success of the fall festival, the local Modern Woodmen chapter recently helped finance the sign placed at the entrance of The Sharing Bucket/Relay for Life Fall Festival. The sign is dedicated to Simmons' brother-in-law, the late Dwight Driver.

The project was part of Modern Woodmen's Good Neighbors Program, a nationwide venture that gives Modern Woodmen chapters nationwide $500 for hands-on repair and community beautification projects. Nearly 500 such projects benefit U.S. communities each year.

"As a member-based, fraternal organization, Modern Woodmen strives to give member families opportunities to enhance their communities," said JoLynne Stainbrook, local Modern Woodmen activities coordinator and financial representative. For more information about the local chapter and how to get involved, contact Stainbrook at 223-3000.

Simmons expressed thanks to the community for its support of the festival and invited residents to drive out to the country to see the sign.

"It will always be up there. We'll just change the date," she said.

At another weekend event, youngsters visiting the Farmers' Market on Saturday got a chance to go through a small house to illustrate what they should do if a blaze started at their residence.

Normally the trailer, built in 1997 with donations, would be pumped full of smoke, but Saturday, it was smokeless because they didn't have electricity

Fort Scott firefighter Scott Shelton said he and his colleagues would visit about 1,300 students at schools citywide this month. They don't take the "smoke house" to preschools, though. For kindergartners, they use "tools and toys," telling kids not to play with matches and lighters, teaching them about escape routes in case of a blaze, how to get out and having a meeting place set up with their families.

Firefighters also teach youngsters how to call 9-1-1 and what information to give dispatch with a pay phone set up inside the trailer. They also have street signs set up outside so youngsters can tell dispatchers what corner they live on, Shelton said.

"For them, it's pretty realistic, as realistic as you can get," he said.