Fun Frolic benefits local child care

The Sizzler, Sea Ray and Super Slide were only a few of the attractions available for carnival-goers attending Fun Frolic, an annual event benefiting IU Child Care Centers and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Attendees rode festival rides and listened to someone selling four chances at the dunk tank over a loudspeaker, creating a nostalgic atmosphere for Bloomington resident Shelly Brown.

“I used to come here when I was a kid,” Brown said as she watched her daughter on a ride. “It seemed bigger then, but I guess that’s because I am bigger now.”

Fun Frolic has been an annual event for 52 years, said Tim Dunnuck, coordinator for the IU Child Care Centers. However, IU has only been working with the carnival for the past 13 years.

Even though IU has not been involved with Fun Frolic since its inception, the same carnival company, Cumberland Valley Shows, has helped with Fun Frolic for as long as Jennifer Floyd said she can remember. Floyd is a fourth-generation member of the company and has been working for Cumberland Valley Shows for years.

IU makes the arrangements for Cumberland Valley Shows to come from Lebanon, Tenn., to the west parking lot of the IU Memorial Stadium. The University provides water, electricity, security and bathroom facilities for the week-long event.

At the end of the carnival, a percentage of the proceeds went to the local nonprofits.

“We get a certain percentage of the games and food and gate charges,” Dunnuck said.

In the past few years, Dunnuck said there have been dips in profit margins. He said he believes the decrease in profits might be due to the higher cost of fuel for the carnival to travel to Bloomington, as well as the fact that fewer people are attending carnivals in general, not just Fun Frolic. To help increase attendance, the event’s advertisers use radio announcements and yard signs to get information to families in the area. But Dunnuck said he has noticed a more effective method.

“The best advertising is when the company shows up and starts setting up,” he said.

Bloomington resident Craig Bailey agreed with Dunnuck.

“We have been here twice,” Bailey said. “We live across the way, so the kids see it every day.”

Even though attendance and profits are down, Fun Frolic still fills a need for IU Child Care Centers. Each of the five centers receives a portion of the proceeds.

“It’s a major fundraiser for the year,” Dunnuck said. “Because of Fun Frolic, we don’t have to do a lot of the bake sales and things that other child care centers are doing.”