Boosters' Carnival Flooded By Weather

Sweltering heat and flooded grounds kept attendance at Maine East Athletic Boosters’ first-ever carnival to a minimum Sunday. All 12 of the rides for small children set up on the field were shut down on Saturday and packed up on Sunday because rain water flooded the area Friday night and made the ground soft and unsafe to operate the machines.

Organizers said the event took seven months to plan and nearly 100 volunteers to run. The Boosters’ club was able to eek out a small profit, but the carnival was plagued by weather, said Jennifer Younan, president of the club.

“We had excessive heat warnings on Thursday and Friday, flooding on Saturday and locusts on Sunday,” Younan joked. “We’re still here for the kids, though, no matter what.”

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Younan said the carnival was still a good idea, and they plan to expand the fundraising event next year to include local vendors and other elements. She said they are also considering changing the timing so that “East Feast” takes place in June after the school year ends.

Mark Salerno, assistant manager at Windy City Amusements, the company that owns and operates the carnival equipment, said the response from the community was still very positive, despite the weather, and he plans to try again next year.

“We’re looking forward to [bringing the carnival back next year],” Salerno said. “A lot of people really enjoyed it.”