Daughters and dads step into the “Old West” for a night of dancing and games

Post date: Apr 11, 2019 11:3:46 AM

Howdy partner! With the theme of “A Western Hoedown”, Wells Elementary School featured its annual Girls Gala on March 23rd. One hundred and eighty-six girls attended with their dads or a male relative. After registering in the school’s lobby and receiving party favors including a small horseshoe, couples passed through a gate and down a path lined with murals of tall grass under a bright blue sky ending at the entrance to a large decorated room with a dance floor aka the school gym.

Many of the kindergarten through 4th-grade girls and their dates arrived in western attire including boots, kerchiefs and lots of cowboy and cowgirl hats. This annual event is sponsored, planned, and organized by the school’s PTSA. This year a game area that included horseshoes, tic-tac-toe tables and an activity referred to as “lasso the steer” was added. There was also a selfie photo area featuring a façade of a western town’s bank and jail to pose near. A variety of food and drink was available in the school’s cafeteria and there were many basket raffles featuring a variety of items including an American Doll and a gift card for $100 from York Hospital.

As in past years, PTSA members and others have volunteered lots of time and energy with the lengthy setup process and later disassembling of decorations and so forth. As with last year’s dance, a theme had to be formulated, researched and props built. The engine behind all this was the PTSA’s Girls Gala Committee which, this year, consisted of co-chairs Alison Pucciarelli, Kim Bohn, Loran Townsend, and Jennifer Miles.

According to Townsend, there were also portraits of the couples created by 2 photographers, Marina from Lumina by Marina Photography and Heather of Vintage Grace Photography. The dance music was provided by DJ David Langway from Windham.

Allison Pucciarelli and Townsend noted that this dance was the most attended in recent years and attracted more volunteers then last year. According to Pucciarelli, a combination of 38 area businesses and families donated items for the basket raffles and eight businesses plus 30 parents donated food and drinks. Several businesses donated supplies and the 25 volunteers focused their creativity and time constructing props and putting up decorations. Volunteers also shopped, made phone calls and donated western décor.

“We have always (been) lucky and grateful to be part of such a wonderful town community that supports our school and event with donations…” commented Pucciarelli.

Caption: From left to right is Carl Cantara with daughter Camellia (2nd grade) and Mathew Ledoux with daughter Quinn (multi-grade 1 and 2).

Caption: Stephone Young with daughter Savannah Rose who is in kindergarten.