ABOVE: A group of girls take a break from dancing with their fathers to form a circle and dance together Saturday evening at the father-daughter dance at Bethel Evangelical Free Church in Fairmont.
FAIRMONT– On Saturday evening a father-daughter dance was held at Bethel Evangelical Free Church in Fairmont. The dance served as a fundraiser for Project 1590’s Kids Just Want to Have Fun committee.
There are seven active members in the group, which formed in 2017.
The group is responsible for several new attractions in Fairmont including the indoor playground at Five Lakes Centre in Fairmont, which was installed in 2017. It also did all of the fundraising for the mini golf course which sits beside the Fairmont Aquatic Park. The course first opened in 2019 with nine holes and groundbreaking for the second nine took place in September 2020.
Kristy Olson, a member of the committee, said that this was the fourth annual dance the group had put on and since last year’s was cancelled, they were excited to be able to hold it again.
Olson shared that 75 families– over 200 people– attended the dance. She said it was their biggest turnout yet.
It was $25 for families at the door but presale tickets were also available at the Martin County Library. Olson said while it was a fundraiser, it was also a donation so if families couldn’t pay, they didn’t turn them away.
A meal of pizza, cookies, fruit and other snacks was also provided. Olson said Culligan donated the water, HyVee donated the fruit and Fareway donated the cookies. She said Bethel also let them use the space for free.
Those who attended the event took it quite seriously and many came dressed to the nines.
“Some guys were dressed in three-piece suits and ties and it was so fun to see the girls so dressed up. You can tell when they walk through the door with their dad they’re so proud and excited,” Olson said.
While dancing was the main attraction, there was also a photo booth, games and glow in the dark tattoos, which Olson said were a big hit with the kids.
“We try to stay local for everything we use,” Olson said.
This included the photo booth and the DJ, which was the Fairmont Opera House.
As for what the money will be used for, Olson said, “we don’t have any big projects in the works. We have a few ideas we’ve thought of but aren’t ready to share them yet.”
She said they’ve had other community groups contact them and ask for help and that they will assist with the upcoming Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) family fun night.
“Our last two projects were huge so we’re stepping back from the big projects right now and focusing on our events,” Olson said.
In addition to the father-daughter dance, the group also holds an annual mother-son event each October, which serves as a fundraiser. Olson said they have some other family events in the works as well.
She also touched on the fact that upkeep of the mini golf course and the indoor playground is needed. She said they recently purchased new climbing blocks for the indoor playground after they were vandalized last summer.
The two big projects the group has accomplished have proven to be both beneficial and popular for the whole community. The indoor playground is often utilized in the winter months and every summer people turn up to play at the mini-golf course.
“For the mini-golf we’ve gotten really good feedback from people of all ages. There’s people in their 80s who will go out and play,” Olson said.
She said at this point they’re going to keep it as a free activity for the public as they haven’t had any issues with people walking away with rented equipment.
Anyone who is interested in joining the Kids Just Want to Have Fun committee, or has ideas for them, can contact them through their Facebook page: Kids Just Want to Have Fun- Project 1590.
