RUMFORD — Holy Savior School raised more than $1,750 at its third annual Fall Festival on Saturday, and the event was a huge success, an organizer said on Wednesday.

The festival was for elementary school children, such as from Holy Savior School, which offers kindergarten through eighth-grade classes.

It featured pumpkin decorating, apple cider sales and debuted the Touch a Truck activity where children could sit in the driver’s seats of large vehicles and race cars for family photo sessions.

A Scholastic Book Fair started Monday and will continue through Friday, Sept. 12.

“We had a much better turnout than the previous year,” Jaime Arsenault of Rumford and the Parents & Teachers Helping Students Committee at the school said late Wednesday afternoon.

All proceeds help to keep their Catholic school open and to keep Catholic education alive in their area, she said.

“All the children and families that attended were smiling and had a great day,” Arsenault said. “It was very well-received. With the addition of the book fair, vendors and the Touch a Truck, we more than doubled what we made last year.”

Even the weather worked out. “The rain started after it was over,” she said.

Arsenault said the response from volunteers, supporters and the community “was fantastic.”

“Kids loved the Touch a Truck,” she said. “My son, Aaron’s, favorite part, as well as other kiddos, was bring able to open and close the school bus door and honk the bus horn.”

She said, “A big thank-you to all of the many volunteer helpers and supporters of this year’s third annual Holy Savior School’s Fall Festival.”

She gave special thanks to Jim Barnett, owner of Ralph’s Store and Deli, for donating pizza, Frosty Delight and Naples Packing for their own edible contributions, the Knights of Columbus for donating homemade baked beans, the Daughters of Isabella for their generous supply of baked goods, the Youth Ministry young adults for giving their time to help run the kids’ games and to all the Holy Savior parishioners and community members who attended.

Arsenault also thanked Eli Mann for donating a ride in his Big Foot 3 monster truck, Eddy Naples from Region 9 for the school bus, Oxford County Sheriff Wayne Gallant for bringing his truck, the Rumford Fire Department for their ladder truck, A & B Forestry for the use of his “big rig,” Sharon and Bernie Gilsleider for bringing an ambulance from the Professional Vehicle Corp., Donnie Hebert for bringing his Ford Mustang and to all the vendors that came out.

Arsenault said several anonymous friends made donations of items and money to help cover the day’s expenses.

Holy Savior School’s next fundraising event is a benefit macaroni and cheese supper at Holy Savior Church on Oct. 18. It also features a Chinese auction following the 4 p.m. Mass.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com