Held at Pleasant Valley High School on April 1, 2017, PV Palooza was a fundraiser for Vera French, an organization that helps out troubled teens with mental disorders. However, it wasn’t a typical fundraiser. There were so many different things to do, including a blow up obstacle course, life-size Jenga, weird pedal things, basketball and dodgeball tournaments, a raffle for prizes, live music, free food, and much more. Anyone was invited to attend for just a ten dollar entrance fee. All money raised was then donated to the Vera French foundation.

Many people seemed to have had a good time at the fundraiser. Austin Stickel, senior and the DJ at PV Palooza, said, “It was a really cool event that brought a lot of good to the people who participated and to the charity foundation the money was raised for.”

At the fundraiser, there was a wide array of things people could participate in. There were many athletic activities such as basketball and dodgeball, but there was also ping pong and video games set up for those that prefer to do that. Jordyn Hasseler, senior, a helper at the fundraiser, said, “There were so many different things to do at the fundraiser that no matter who the person was, they could find something that they enjoyed.”

The live performance band played metal music that a lot of people are not used to. However, it was a local band including, Kaleb Dykema, a senior at Pleasant Valley. Stickel said, “The live music performance was a really awesome experience. I usually don’t listen to that type of music, but I thought it was really cool.” PV Palooza was sponsored by many local businesses as well. Most of the businesses were restaurants who gave coupons to the fundraiser for their raffle. Not only was PV Palooza fun, but it was also a time for the community to come together and help a great charity foundation.