A main idea behind Saturday's Community Fall Festival, organized by the Anderson High School student council, was to bring families together for some late-fall fun.
That fun required some serious organizing efforts from council members, who did everything from securing vendors to organizing volunteers, according to Brittany Sylvia, the high school teacher advising the council.
"They are proud of their school," Sylvia said. "They want their community to see that Anderson has a lot more to offer than its reputation."
Sylvia stood outside the high school's main gymnasium, where people enjoyed a bounce house and a ball pitch, among other games.
While some played the outdoor games, others were captivated by the sizzle and smell of cooking meat and tortillas from Moe's Eats and Treats, which were offered free to all in attendance. The booth was popular; there was a line throughout the day.
More activities took place inside the gym, including face painting, miniature golf and custom balloons from a mysterious elf named "Elfie."
The event, for some, helped showcase the high school's service-minded student body.
"Anderson High School has tremendous students that have a heart for community and a heart for serving," Principal Alan Landes said. "We encourage our kids to volunteer because it takes a community to build a community."
Wuraola Olorunfemi, the student council president, who is originally from Nigeria, said she loves the Anderson community and wants to see it revitalized.
"(Anderson) has made me who I am today," she said.
Olorunfemi, a senior at AHS, has participated in several service projects, including helping with a program hosted by the Minority Health Coalition of Madison County.
Her desire to serve others is a driving force behind her plans to attend nursing school at Butler or IU before going to medical school.
She is also adept at networking. She helped her fellow student council members secure funding for Saturday's event, including a donation by local attorney Max Howard, who smiled and shook hands with people at the festival.
In his 54-year career, Howard has handled numerous adoption cases. He said sponsoring the event was, for him, a way of supporting children in public schools.
"This community needs this kind of stuff," he said. "It will make (children) part of the community and inspire them to have respect for the school and their teachers."
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.