For more than 10 years, Charleston Elementary School has been holding its annual Fall Festival as a way of bringing its students, their parents and community members together.</p><p>This year's event will be held on campus on Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.</p><p>"It definitely brings a lot of people out to the school," Chuan Menefee, Charleston parent club publicist, said.</p><p>The school's parent club continues as the event's main sponsor.</p><p>This fundraiser is the club's largest of the year, Menefee said.</p><p>"We usually make about $15,000 every year, and that's big for us," she said.</p><p>Menefee said with the money raised at the event, the parent club puts it back into the classroom.</p><p>"With the state budget, schools aren't buying the basics, like paper, pencils, so it's put onto the teachers," she said. "And our parent club is trying to offset those costs.</p><p>"If we have extra money after that, it usually goes toward field trip funds. We give each teacher money for that," she said. "It all goes to the kids and what the teachers think they need most."</p><p>This year the festival will feature carnival games, bingo and a silent auction. The festival is not related to Halloween, Menefee said.</p><p>Each classroom also completes a project together for the silent auction. Community groups and individuals also contribute to the auction, something Menefee said the parents club is grateful for.</p><p>"We have such a great silent auction," Menefee said.</p><p>The event will also host a raffle. First prize for the raffle drawing is a $500 gift card to Wal-Mart, second prize is a laptop computer and third prize is a patio set.</p><p>Menefee said what makes this year's event extra special for festival attendees is it marks the kick-off of raffling a donated car from Santos Ford in Los Ba&#241;os.</p><p>The car, a 2004 Ford Taurus Wagon, will be raffled off on Dec. 12. From the Fall Festival until then, Charleston students will be selling raffle tickets for the car. Proceeds will go directly to the school.</p><p>Menefee said even though the kick-off of the car raffle makes this event unique compared to past years, she's looking forward to bringing everyone together again for the festival.</p><p>"We get a great turnout every year and it's just good clean family fun," Menefee said. "I love that the kids have so much fun."</p><p><i>Enterprise reporter Samantha Salas can be reached by phone at (209)388-6562 or by e-mail at ssalas@losbanosenterprise.com</i>