American Martyrs Church hosts 45th Annual Parish Fair

By Guadi Rabino
Staff Writer

Soon, everyone in both Manhattan and Hermosa Beach can begin enjoying the lively fun taking place in the American Martyrs’ biggest annual fundraiser, the Parish fair.

On the weekend of October 17th, the American Martyrs Church will be hosting its 45th Annual Parish Fair. The purpose of the fair is to benefit the parish, and a number of other organizations who conduct research for various causes.

“It is one of our parishes biggest fundraisers,” AMS eighth grader Delaney Baumer said. “We keep a lot of the proceeds but also donate some to St. Lawrence Brindisi which is our sister school in Wats. A lot of proceeds go to women’s cancers research as well.”

The fair includes an assortment of booths, some managed by local businesses and others by the church itself. Game booths such as the penny toss or other attractions such as the “dunk your teacher booth” as well as a haunted house and a rock climbing wall are most common, but there are others that serve food and provide other services.

“There are a lot of booths like face painting, ticket booths, and different food booths. There are also cupcake decorating booths, a consolation ticket booth,” Baumer said. “Since the fair is in October, we also have a haunted house along with a rock climbing wall.”

Along with all the activities available for everyone,according to AMS eight grader Grace Hodges, one of the highlights of the fair is the variety of foods offered.The money brought in from the food one of the main contributing factors in raising money.

“One of my favorite parts about the fair is the great food,” Hodges said. “There’s round table pizza, baked potatoes, fish tacos, teriyaki kabobs, ice cream, cotton candy, shaved ice, and hamburgers.”

The fair is extremely family and community oriented. The church’s main focus is to provide a fun and inviting environment for all ages. The parishioners and the fair put the fair together in hopes that everyone attending enjoys themselves.

“Here at the American Martyrs’ church we focus on the four F’s which are faith family friends and fun,” one of the directors of the Parish fair, Jen Adams said. “It is sort of the motto we like to go by.”

All parents of AMS students are required to work at least one shift. The American Martyrs church also encourage the parishioners to volunteer their time to work at the fair. On the Friday before the fair, all AMS students are required to set up the fair’s booths and all the activities.

“After working to help set up, I believe that we, as students, learn money management along with the importance of responsibility needed for working a job in our near futures,” Hodges said.  “We also get to experience spending time with the younger students.”

The Parish fair has been a custom amongst the American Martyrs community for 45 years to this day. The first ever fair was in 1970 as a way to help bring in funds for the church. After it was a big success, the directors of the fair decided to continue to do it.

“We put on the parish fair to raise money for our sister school,” AMS eighth grader Molly Ciaprari said. “The community service done for setting up the fair counts as service for our community.”

According to a number of eighth graders at AMS, Hodges, Baumer and Ciaprari included, the fair helps to bring the people of this city together by holding many family friendly booths to encourage a better sense of community in Manhattan Beach.

“To help the fair occur, everyone has to help to make it happen,” said Ciaprari. “For example, volunteering for the games to work them along with spending time in the auction. Everyone works together to make the silent auction in the Parish fair happen. Everyone comes to raise money and everyone participates in some part of the fair.”

Everyone is able to attend the fair and is welcome to bring their family and friends for a fun weekend of bonding. The fair maintains a solid income from their number of activities which greatly influences both the church and school and aids it financially hence why it continues to occur.

“Anyone can attend the fair usually the majority of the students and American martyrs show up to the fair and most of the parents also people from our parish community,” said Ciaprari.