FORT BLISS, Texas -- Soldiers and families attended an annual Fall Festival, Oct. 22, at Dr. Green Elementary School in El Paso.
During the festival, adults and children wore Halloween costumes, playing, eating, and laughing.
There were games, prizes, jumping balloons, face painting, a photo booth, haunted house and lots of food and drinks.
Sgt. Jason Maroney, communications sergeant, 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Army Evaluation Task Force, his wife Jennifer, and son Dayne were among the military families there.
Jennifer is a volunteer at Green Elementary and was impressed at the festival’s attendance.
“El Paso is awesome,” said Jennifer. “We’ve lived in a Hispanic community so moving here was like coming home.”
Katie Villalva, an accountant for Frank Spenser Associates, was the Parent Teacher Association member in charge of the Fall Festival for this year.
Villalva and 20 other volunteers organized the event. This was her first year in charge of the festival; but, the PTA has been hosting this event the week before Halloween, for the past 18yrs.
“It was only two hours long but everybody had fun with the kids,” said Ricardo Lopez, a military spouse and frequent volunteer for Dr. Green Elementary.
All the proceeds from the festival go back to the school for academic equipment including new computer monitors, keyboards, and other items, said Villalva. Last year the PTA raised enough funds to replace the tattered cafeteria curtains.
We enjoy having our military families get involved, said Villalva. We love when they drop their kids off in uniform or volunteer for Veteran’s Day, and we’d love for them to be more involved. For more information on volunteering at Dr Green Elementary call (915) 231-2700