MS Hosts Annual Fall Festival for Candlelighters

For more than 25 years, St. John’s School has partnered with the Candlelighters organization to host this special event. Candlelighters is a nonprofit organization that offers emotional, educational, and practical support to families of children with cancer. Some of these efforts include providing financial assistance for ongoing hospital visits and lengthy stays, providing peer support via their Parent Consultant program, and welcoming families at Camp CLIFF for a weekend of fishing, horseback riding, ziplining, and more.

Planned and executed entirely by Class 8 students, with support from SJS staff and parent volunteers, the Fall Festival includes Halloween and fall-themed booths and activities. Children and their families are invited to decorate pumpkins, play carnival-style games, enjoy festive treats, and partake in an afternoon of carefree fun without the weight of their medical worries.

 

MS Community Service Coordinator Sukhi Dosanjh characterized the day as one of great joy and expressed her appreciation for the efforts of Class 8.

“I am so proud of our students for putting so much thought into making sure their booths would bring joy to the Candlelighters families,” she said. “Not only did they exercise creativity, but their compassion and enthusiasm on the day of the event was contagious.”

 

Dosanjh also acknowledged the busy nature of the weekend, which concluded a week of spirit activities and celebrations in connection with the SJS/Kinkaid matchup. “We are especially grateful to all the families who spent their afternoon at the festival given the multitude of events such as the Kinkaid game and Halloween. It was a great way to close a busy weekend.”