This week, Perry’s Academic, Cultural, and Enrichment Services (PACES) program will be raising money and celebrating their successes with the two-day “Lights On After School” event.

PACES Director Mary Hillman says the celebration goes well beyond Perry’s program. “This event, we celebrate locally, but it is also a national day to acknowledge, across the whole United States, all the programs: the importance of before and after school programming, and the need to not only have students safe, but continuing to have them learn and be enriched.”

The festivities kick off Wednesday from 3-5 p.m. with the annual “Pledges for PACES” fundraiser, which Hillman says is their biggest source of funds every year. The students will walk laps around the high school track, or in the elementary if there’s inclement weather, and will earn donations per lap walked. Anyone wanting to donate to the program can pick up a pledge sheet at the PACES office, each of the three school offices, the Perry Public Library, the McCreary Community Building, or the Perry Chamber of Commerce Office. Hillman says people can donate by the lap or a flat fee, and emphasizes that no donation is too small.

The celebration continues Thursday with the free “Lights On After School” event, which will start at 5 p.m. in the elementary multipurpose room. There will be awards handed out for the light bulb coloring contest for the preschool through 2nd grade students, the 3rd grade poster contest, and the essay contest for the 4th and 5th graders. Following that, there will be a proclamation by Perry Mayor John Andorf and a speech by Superintendent Clark Wicks. The guest speaker will be Perry Library Director Mary Murphy, who Hillman says has been instrumental in making PACES successful each year. The evening will conclude with the talent show, with performances by each grade level, followed by a supper for the families.

To learn more about PACES and “Lights On After School,” listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.