Church’s Mardi Gras party raises funds for God’s Global Barnyard

March 3, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning Valley has seen few signs of spring, though perhaps the closest and most-colorful one can be found on 3-year-old Julianna Brubaker’s face.

“They do what they can to make it fun for the kids,” said Julianna’s father, Mike Brubaker, while his daughter was having a purple-and-pink butterfly painted on her cheek.

Mike Brubaker was referring to Sunday’s second annual family carnival at Zion Lutheran Church, 3300 Canfield Road.

The church’s Sunday school hosted the two-hour gathering to raise money for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s project called God’s Global Barnyard. Proceeds benefit a world-hunger effort and are to be used to buy cows, fish and other animals for Third World countries, noted Cher Theisler, the Sunday school program’s superintendent.

The animals will provide sustenance and self-sustainability for many people in those parts of the world, she explained, noting that last year’s fest brought in about $2,700.

In addition to having her face painted, Julianna, who enjoys ballet, gymnastics, soccer and preschool, also had fun trying her best with the two-way obstacle course, one of the festival’s biggest attractions.

The gathering is something Julianna has talked about throughout the past year, said her father, a five-year church member.

“I did the obstacle course. It was like a big person trying to go through an obstacle course for little people,” the Rev. Duane Jesse, Zion’s pastor, said with a chuckle. “I was not highly successful.”

Sunday’s festival also maintained a Mardi Gras theme in advance of Lent, which begins Wednesday, the Rev. Mr. Jesse continued. He added that the event brought many people together for fellowship and fun.

Attendees paid 25 cents each to play games such as a bean-bag throw and ring toss and tried to win tickets that were exchanged for prizes. Other offerings included sack races, cornhole, a large inflatable children’s bounce house, a basket raffle and plenty of food.

Also part of the festivities was an activity called Fish Bowl, in which participants crawled under a cardboard entry containing painted fish, rolled colored balls down a slight decline and won tickets for getting the balls through small, colored tunnels.

Among those up for the challenge was 9-year-old Devin Palomaki of Youngstown, a Lowellville K-12 School third-grader. Looking on was his brother, Brandon Palomaki, 14, who also was collecting money from the game.

Many children and adults traded their tickets for numerous prizes that included small toys, stuffed animals and games. One of those who made out quite well was 3-year-old Austin Wentz of Austintown, who took home a toy firetruck, candy and a purple plastic insect.

“He did the obstacle course and played all of the games at least once,” said his mother, Chrissie Wentz.