This Little Piggy Went to Oktoberfest

This weekend is our Parish Oktoberfest. It’s a way to earn money for both the school and the parish, but mostly it’s a way to have fun. A chance to kick back, eat, drink, socialize with other members of our parish and our community and a chance for our children to run free and gorge on sno-cones, cotton candy, hallo hallo, and other delicacies. And bring home dozens of black plastic spider rings and other junky toys that disappear into the corners of the rooms and down the heat registers.

Hubs’ job is to run cable for the TVs that will be set up at the beer and wine booth. I’m the Pig Lady.

Each class, school and Faith Formation (CCD), receives a pig. They can dress it up, name it, and enter it in the Beauty Pageant. After the Pageant, the pigs race. Being mechanical, they run on “D” batteries. Being pigs, they wiggle their snouts, move forward a couple of steps, move backward, wiggle their tails, and slowly make their way down four feet of “track” to the finish line.

Prizes are given for the Pageant and for the Race.

We’ve been doing this for about four years. The kids look forward to it and so do their parents. The race was designed to be fun, and that’s the most difficult part—to keep it from becoming another Cub Scout Pinewood Derby (for those who have participated) where the competition becomes deadly serious.

This year we asked for donations to help offset the cost of pigs and trophies. As incentive, the class at the school with the most donations gets coupons for pizza redeemable at Oktoberfest. The Faith Formation kids each get a Win ticket, redeemable at the Central Prize Booth, for bringing in a donation.

Last night I totaled the school’s contributions. It was $553.00. That’s about twice what I expected. Faith Formation brought in $168.00 as of Monday night, with more expected Tuesday and Wednesday.

My Piggies are at $721.00! Not bad at all for a “fun” event!