Colorful paper leaves and streamers adorned the walls of the music room at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts on Friday evening as children's excited voices mixed with the sounds of parents' and volunteers' conversations. Pumpkins, face paint, apple cider, cookies, a bean bag throw, Frisbee toss and more were all a part of Student Voluntary Services' Fall Festival.
Fall Festival started three years ago after senior elementary education major Mallory Collins got the idea to create an event for children in foster care. The main focus of the night is to show children in foster care that there are many other kids like them in Muncie.
"It gives them something to do and it shows them that somebody does care," Kristen White, freshman apparel design major, said.
Parents brought their children to Cornerstone between 5 and 8 p.m. Friday. Most of the kids showed up in Halloween costumes varying from ninjas to Optimus Prime. Ball State student volunteers worked the different game, food or craft stations at the event.
When asked what his favorite thing was about Fall Festival, Blake Staggs, a 7-year-old foster child excitedly replied, "Everything!"
He dressed as Optimus Prime for the event and his costume consisted of a full body suit and mask.
"Optimus Prime, he's from Transformers," Staggs said. "He always wins by killing the Decepticons. The Decepticons are really bad. I'm an oddbot."
Another child, 6-year-old Duncan Gross, dressed as a ninja and spent some time at the face-painting station getting a black spider painted on his hand. SVS President Brandi Terry, junior magazine journalism and women studies major, was the face painter for the evening.
"I love it," she said. "I think it's so fun. The kids will talk to you when you're doing it. It's just a good chance to ask them questions because they are sitting there and they have the most interesting things to say. "
Around 40 volunteers worked the event throughout the evening in two-hour shifts. Some of the volunteers were a part of SVS and others volunteered for different reasons.
"It's nice to work with these kids that I'll have to work with in the school systems anyways," Collins said. "They are just like every other kid and it's just extra practice working with kids. I go home feeling good. "
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