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Factoid: Art will be on display this week from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. in the activity room at Rainbow's End. The bidding will end on Friday at noon.
The summer program at Rainbow's End has started selling canvases instead of cookies to make the art of fundraising more fun.
The event, which began on Monday and will run through Friday afternoon, marks the center's second annual children's art auction.
Lucy Dollinger, 6 1/2, explained the significance of the fundraiser.
"We made the art up there, and we're gonna use the money for the big field trip," Dollinger said.
This year, the summer program has 15 students ages 6-12 who hope to raise approximately $600 to go to the Raging Rivers water park in Grafton.
Georgia Hefler, self-proclaimed teacher, assistant and cook at the center, said why the children were pleased with the projects they had on display.
"We like creativity around here," Hefler said. "We encourage the kids to do the kind of projects they'd like to do before we get started. We want this to always feel like fun, not work."
Throughout the summer, the children create various art projects. This year, all of the children created paintings, while many of the girls also made decorative boxes and crocheted Barbie clothes. Some students also made jewelry and play-dough statues.
Jacob Gorecki, 9, was one of the children who made multiple projects.
"I made a fireworks painting and a necklace," Gorecki said. "The auction is important, because when we do it we get to go on field trips. It's not a lot of work, though. It's a lot of fun."
After each project is complete, teachers ask students if they would like to include it in the auction.
"The choice is always up to them," Hefler said. "They take home whatever they don't want to donate, but usually every child wants to donate a couple of art pieces."
In the past, bake sales have been the program's main source of fundraising dollars. Hefler said she thought it was time for a change.
"While we still do the bake sales and they're good for raising money, it was the parents doing all the work," Hefler said. "I felt that the kids should be doing more since it was their trip. Also, the kids had been doing the same kinds of projects for a while. I wanted them to do something different."
While Hefler said the group of kids she has now is fairly competitive, she is not worried about any negative attitudes.
"They're just excited about seeing the whole thing come together and knowing they helped," Hefler said. "These kids aren't worried about whose stuff sells and whose doesn't."
The children came up with the idea of encouraging the Carbondale community to participate.
"Last year, the staff was bidding as much as any parent, including our director," Hefler said. "But the children are really proud of their work and want more people to see what they're doing."
Hefler said she is glad to have come up with a way for the kids to earn funds for the trip.
"Of course, they're excited enough about going to the water park that they don't mind the effort of the auction," Hefler said. "But nothing is like seeing the look of accomplishment on their faces.
"The whole process makes all of the children very proud."
