Reflections on the 2018 Strawberry Festival

Our 38th Annual Strawberry Festival was one of the best ever. We say this without knowing the total amount raised.  Yes, it is our largest fundraiser and will be a tremendous benefit for our school, but it is more than just numbers. The parents who started this event in 1980 realized the importance of building community and having the families be an integral part of the process. The festival showcases who we are and represents our values.

We believe in experiential learning, creative problem solving and collaboration. All of these were happening with every step of the preparations and throughout the festival days. Working together makes a task so much easier and much more fun.

Everyone has a gift to share and we believe in service to others and giving back. We had over 400 volunteer shifts representing more than 2600 hours of service.

We want our students to be part of a wider community and be able to relate to people with different beliefs, religions and nationalities. The festival is attended by close to 20,000 people from all over Virginia’s Blue Ridge and across the mid-Atlantic region.

Strawberry Festival was a success because we created an event that embraced the community and in one student’s words, the best part was “seeing everybody’s happy faces.” We are so proud to be part of this generous community and appreciate all the time, effort and expertise that you shared.

-Linda Roth

Executive Director