News from Polson Heart and Soul
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POLSON — It might just be the perfect way to celebrate the end of two years of work in the Polson community: the Polson Heart & Soul project is hosting a comeback of the Polson Winter Carnival. The Heart & Soul project, which centered on learning what residents love about Polson so that those values can be considered in future planning, was actually the impetus for the Winter Carnival celebration idea. The carnival was often mentioned as a favorite memory of residents, and as an example of desired activities to bring residents together in the spirit of fun, friendship, and mutual support.
The event takes place Sunday, March 16 from 2-4 p.m. at Polson High School and will be a mini version of the Winter Carnival that was a two-day tradition for nearly 50 years.
Shelley Quinn, a leader of the Envision Polson Youth Committee and PHS student during the Winter Carnival glory days, is working with this year’s high school classes and clubs to organize all of the carnival games for the comeback.
“Envision Polson will be taking over where Heart & Soul is dropping off, so it was natural for the Envision Polson Youth Committee to step up to the plate and help,” Quinn said, explaining how she came to be involved. “Also, I am one of those PHS graduates who holds Winter Carnival as a favorite memory of my high school years and I have long wanted to see it brought back. I’m thrilled to be involved.” Quinn said she hopes to continue to help bring the Winter Carnival back to its former grandeur over the next couple of years.
Long-time residents will recall that Winter Carnival was a time for people of all ages to come to Polson High School to support the school’s classes and organizations and to have fun together as a community. Tickets will be sold for 50 cents apiece at the door; the tickets are then used to participate in games and purchase food and beverage items.
“Based on past experience, I expect the senior class Cake Walk to be one of the most popular activities,” Quinn said. She is also excited about the freshman class’ Tricycle Races, the Art Club’s face painting, the girls basketball team’s Hoop Shoot, Bingo sponsored by the PHS cheerleaders, and much more. In addition to the somewhat traditional activities, there will be new games for attendees to try, such as the Chess Club’s challenging game of Kill The King and an exciting Hunger Games activity hosted by the choir.
Food for the Winter Carnival is also receiving an update to the 21st century. Exposing people to healthy local food options is the goal of Jason Moore, a Polson Heart & Soul Community Advisory Team member and co-founder of the newly launched Kids Co-op, a “grow local, eat local” program.
In heading up food for the event, Moore is making sure attendees will find plenty of free samples at the five food/beverage booths, as well as opportunities to buy full portions and even do a little meal creation of their own. One of the food stations is a build your own take-and-bake pizza, featuring Gluten Free Mama crust and local meat, cheese and vegetable toppings. Attendees can sample local beef by tossing back a meatball, or they can purchase a big tasty hamburger. Homemade sauce on fresh angel hair pasta from Country Pasta is another item that will be available for sampling or large-portion purchase.
There will also be an extensive list of locally-produced beverages available. A raffle of ten locally grown food-themed gift baskets will benefit the Boys & Girls Club.
For the Polson Heart & Soul wrap-up part of the event, co-coordinators Darlis and Daniel Smith are planning a 5-minute video review of the project, an Action Wall where attendees will be encouraged to vote for actions that they would most like to see happen in the community as a result of the Heart & Soul project, a conversation ball pit activity, an unveiling of the car which recently won the Polson Heart & Soul Art Car Contest, a display of the Polson Heart & Soul shadowbox project, and five prize drawings with all prizes in the $100 - $250 value range.
“Everyone who attends this event will be a winner because they will have so much fun and will really help PHS classes and organizations in the process,” Darlis Smith said.
More information about the Winter Carnival is avaiable by contacting Polson Heart & Soul at (406) 260-1521.
