WILBRAHAM — The Wilbraham-Hampden Academic Trust will be hosting its inaugural Family Fall Fest on Sunday, Sept. 29, beginning at 12 p.m. at Fern Valley Farms to support the organization’s work to provide grants to teachers in Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District.
The event will include games staffed by local teachers, live music, a visit from Hootie the mascot, family photo opportunities, and a snack shack run by HWRSD students as well as field day activities such as face painting, glitter tattoos and a pumpkin decorating contest, Wilbraham-Hampden Academic Trust Vice President Alexandra Ryan told Reminder Publishing.
The event will also feature a bounce house with an obstacle course and local food vendors, including The Sugar Chalet and Frederyque’s Delights, Ryan said. A portion of the vendors’ sales will go toward the WHAT donation. In addition to the food and activities available as part of the Family Fall Fest, Fern Valley Farms will also still be open for apple picking and serve food at its kitchen during the event.
Ryan encouraged visitors of either attraction to participate in all of the available activities, highlighting how the festival and apple picking made a great day’s activity for anyone.
While there is no fee to enter the Family Fall Fest, Fern Valley Farms does require a $5 fee for parking, Ryan said. For the bounce house and field day activities, a $20 bracelet will be available. Individual tickets for the remaining activities will also be available for purchase at the event, although the cost of each ticket had not been set at press time.
WHAT was first established in 2003 as a nonprofit with the goal of raising money to support programs in the Hampden-Wilbraham regional schools that were not funded through the district’s budget, Ryan stated.
She explained that the organization has given about $250,000 in grants since its establishment with past grants focusing on areas such as robotics, playground equipment and field trips. Funds raised by the organization go towards all grades prekindergarten through 12th across the district’s seven schools.
In 2023, the nonprofit awarded $60,000 to support 11 projects.
Applications for grants are accepted on a rolling basis through a Google form available on the organization’s website. Once an application is submitted, the review committee meets monthly to select applications. Grants are then awarded on a quarterly basis, Ryan said.
All funds raised at events such as the Family Fall Fest become part of the nonprofit’s general fund, which is used to allot the needed funds for the approved grant applications, Ryan stated.
In addition to the funds supporting regular grants, the nonprofit is also currently working toward raising money for two larger projects: cafeteria updates at Stony Hill School and a library enhancement project at Mile Tree Elementary School, Ryan said. These projects were both previously approved to be funded but required additional fundraising to support.
The nonprofit works to “fund [projects] as quickly as possible,” Ryan stated. She noted that the WHAT fund will sometimes support projects through partial grants, working with the respective school to provide funds for specific parts of the project rather than as a lump sum.
In previous years, the organization hosted a fall gala to help support raising funds, Ryan said. She explained that the nonprofit decided to instead host a family festival this year as a “fun way to get the family involved” and engage parents in the fundraising process.
While Ryan estimated that the organization was looking to raise $10,000 at this year’s Family Fall Fest, she emphasized that “every dollar truly counts.”
For any residents looking to donate directly to the WHAT fund, more information is available on the organization’s website at whatfund.org. Donations can also be made through payment service Venmo at WHAT-fund.
Ryan also noted that WHAT was seeking parents to join the organization, stating that there are “one to two executive positions” that are currently available. Any residents interested in these positions should contact the nonprofit by email at whatfund@gmail.com.
