By Alison McFerrin

The Selma Times-Journal

Members of one local organization already have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

“One major thing that the Dallas County Foster Parent Association does is help get Christmas gifts for the foster children,” said Andrea Dudley, Dallas County Department of Human Resources social service caseworker. With approximately 60 to 70 children in the system in this area, that’s a lot of holiday cheer to spread.

Festival in the Park will take place at Craig Ball Park Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will feature food, games and activities such as face painting, cakewalk and moon bouncers. The festival is set to be a fundraiser for the association — to make sure every child has a good Christmas.

Linda Cook, foster parent for 15 years and the Dallas County Foster Parent Association president, came up with the Festival in the Park idea.

“We were trying to think of a fundraiser to raise proceeds to go to our foster children,” Cook said. “We’re hoping it really kicks off, and it does well.”

Dudley said the organization would like to make it annual event, if it’s successful.

“We just want the kids to get together and have fun,” said Dudley, who said she really hopes there is a good turn out from that side of the river.

“We’re trying to keep it reasonable but make a profit.”

The association tries to provide each foster child with $100 to buy electronics, clothes and toys, Dudley said.

In addition to being fun, the festival will provide the opportunity for people to learn more about fostering parenting and its importance — even to learn how to become a foster parent.

“Fostering is more of a part time thing until families can either step up and do what they need to do to get their kids back home or until the courts decide what needs to be done,” Cook said. “When children, for whatever reasons, cannot be in their home with their birth family members, DHR (Department of Human Resources) has step in and there has to be an alternative.”

Dudley said there will be people available at the festival to explain to the basic requirements and how the training program works.

Admission to the festival is free.

Tickets cost 25 cents; each activity costs two or three tickets, and food will cost between $1 and $5, Dudley said. The group would like to raise $1000 or more.

Cook said they plan to do another big fundraiser later in the year, but right now the focus is the festival.

“We’re hoping that everyone who hears about this on the radio or in the newspaper will just come out and have fun,” Cook said.