By Matt Stuart

matt.stuart@vicksburgpost.com

 

St. Aloysius High School and St. Francis Xavier Elementary will host one of their longest-running fundraisers Friday and Saturday.

Play-A-Day-In-May-Away will begin May 2 at 6 p.m. with a game of bingo.

Now entering its 44th year, the fundraiser is one of the most popular among alumni, parents, students, though it is open to the public.

“This initially was started to benefit the teachers,” said Ann Roberson, development director for Vicksburg Catholic Schools. “Through the years, it just became one of our general fundraisers.”

Roberson said the event is driven heavily by volunteers.

“Each class has a booth and parents help volunteer to run the booths,” she said. “The teachers are very involved as well.

Friday night at 6, a bingo game will begin and will run until 8:30.

Saturday’s events begin at 5 p.m.

Along with the traditional games of ring toss, a duck pond and putt-putt, Blackburn Chrysler Jeep Dodge is sponsoring a rock-climbing wall. The first 75 climbers to reach the top will win a t-shirt.

Saturday’s events will include concessions as well as other activities include face-painting and a toilet paper toss.

There is no cost of admission, but each activite requires between three and eight tickets, which sell for four for a dollar.

Roberson said that the school’s Drawdown fundraiser held earlier this year is typically its largest fundraiser of the year, but that the Play-A-Day-In-May-Away is one of the most popular.

“The Drawdown is our largest but this is probably our most sentimental,” she said. “It’s just been such a  generational event. You have so many parents and grandparents that get involved.”

Most booths will be set up in the parking lot adjacent to St. Aloysius, but other activities will be held in the gym.

Though storms were not expected to arrive until Sunday evening, Roberson said that, in the event of rain, all activities will be moved into the school for the day.