Down-home fun planned at Foolish Pleasures Farm

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By Dennis Hines Members of a local family are giving area residents an opportunity to enjoy a nice spring day while helping out a good cause. Julianna Ladas and her family are hosting a barn dance and fun fair from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., May 17 at the Foolish Pleasures Farm, located at 6195 Rich Road in DeKalb. The barn dance and fun fair is set to feature children's games in which they may win various types of prizes, including jump ropes, boomerangs, bracelets, pencils, batons and water guns. “On the (prize) ticket, there will be an S, M or L for small, medium or large. Then they get to come to the prize tent or choose their prizes at the end of the day,” Ladas said. “We have over 600 prizes, and they can trade in a small prize for a medium or a large.” There will also be several prizes available for adults, including pop can holders, key chains, mouse pads and bracelets. There will also be a raffle drawing for a gift basket. Besides games and prizes, the barn dance will feature golf cart rides, face painting, a hot dog boil and a petting zoo, which will be sponsored by the DeKalb High School Future Farmers of America (FFA). Children will have an opportunity to make their own teddy bear and to help stuff an 18-inch “Hope Bear,” which will be sponsored by Noah's Ark. “The children get to put their ‘little heart' inside and stuff it, and take home their own teddy bear, and everything over the actual cost of that bear is being donated to the American Cancer Society,” Ladas said. “So that's going to be really fun for the kids, to be able to bring home their own teddy bear.” The cost to attend the event is a $10 donation per family. Residents also purchase tickets to play games and to buy food and drink items. “There's going to be a ticket booth when they first come in. They're going to go to the ticket booth. They will get their tickets and play all their games, then they can take their prize tickets to the prize tent where they will be able to pick all their prizes,” Ladas said. “It's entirely up to each family what they want to donate as they go on.” Ladas said she and her family have been working on the event during the past few months. She said she has been busy contacting business owners to donate items for the barn dance. “I've been really impressed with the community, because everybody I've called for donations has bent over backwards to help us,” Ladas said. “Businesses are more than willing to donate, and people are more than willing to spend money if it's going to a good cause.” Ladas said the barn dance will be held rain or shine. She said, if it rains, the event will be held inside a two-story barn located on the property. “We're cleaning the upstairs and downstairs of the barn, so if it's raining, please still come,” Ladas said. The purpose of the event is to raise money for the family members' Relay for Life teams, “JoAnn's Angels” and “3D Remembers.” The proceeds will then be donated to the American Cancer Society. The family members have hosted other events during the past few years to raise money for their Relay for Life Teams, but Ladas said, this year, they wanted to do something a little different. She said the purpose of the event also it to honor her mother who is a cancer survivor. Ladas said the event also is to thank the residents who have supported her family's Relay for Life teams. She said the two teams have raised about $15,000 during the past few years. “This year, we were trying to go over the edge a little bit. This is my mom's five-year, cancer-free year,” Ladas said. “We just wanted to give something back to all the people who have donated over the years, people who have donated the $15,000 we have already collected. This way, they can come and give their donation and get something for it. The kids can come and win prizes, have dinner and have a nice night.” Ladas and her family have been participating in the DeKalb County Relay for Life event since 2004. Ladas said she recalls the first time she participated in the Relay for Life. “I walked until 5 o'clock in the morning three days before having my third baby,” Ladas said. “So I attribute that to having my third baby. We walked until the sun came up, and three days later,my son was born.” This year's DeKalb County Relay for Life will be held June 21-22 at Sycamore High School. Ladas said she and her family plan to host a fun fair at their tent during the Relay for Life event. “I highly advise everybody from the community to come out for the Relay for Life. It's fabulous. There's so much to do. It's a fun, fun night for everyone,” Ladas said. “There's music going on all night. There's dance instruction. It's just very, very fun and a great thing for the community.” For more information about the barn dance call (815) 895-7808 or (815) 758-2894 during the day of the event.