Fairview welcomes back Summerfest with larger crowds
By Kevin Kelley
Fairview Park
Published July 25, 2007

Excellent July weather and large crowds welcomed back Summerfest, Fairview Park’s annual summer festival, following a one-year hiatus.

Summerfest was canceled last year due to the lack of available parking spaces due to construction work at Westgate, which abuts Bohlken Park, the festival’s home.

But there were no parking problems this year. It appeared that more people turned out for the Friday evening parade and activities at Bohlken Park than had at the last Summerfest in 2005.

Children enjoyed carnival rides, adults participated in a bake-off and area canines competed in a dog show at the three-day festival.

The event is put on by the Summerfest committee, which consists of 60 to 70 volunteers.

Tim Grealis and his family were among those who welcomed the festival’s return after the 2006 hiatus.

“We missed the fireworks and all that fun stuff,” he told West Life.

His wife, Karen, said Summerfest is a nice community event.

“I think we’re fortunate to have a community that can put on an event like this,” she said.

The Grealis children — Ryan, Justin and Daniel — said they enjoyed the midway games and the sports put on by the Fairview Recreation Department.

Tim Grealis told West Life that the family watched the parade Friday evening, saw the fireworks Saturday evening and returned to Bohlken Park for supper late Sunday afternoon.

“We spent all three days here,” he said.

 Many community organizations set up tables during Summerfest and sold various items as a fund-raiser for their organizations.

The We Do Care Committee, which since the 1960s has supported local members of the U.S. Armed Forces, raised about $500 over the weekend, according to Harriet Beekman, the committee’s founder and longtime chairperson. Money was raised through the sale of raffle chances for donated sports memorabilia.

The Fairview Park Junior Women’s Club sold iced coffee, candy and cookbooks containing the favorite recipes of its members to raise money for its philanthropic programs.

Nancy Shucofsky, the club’s treasurer, said promoting awareness of the organization and its activities was the purpose of its Summerfest booth.

“Our goal is not to make a lot of money at this event, although our goal is to make money and give it away,” she said.

In the past year, Shucofsky said, the Fairview Park Junior Women’s Club awarded over $3,500 in college scholarship money.

About 25 members manned the booth during Summerfest’s three days, she said.

The group had set a goal of raising $150 during Summerfest, Shucofsky said.

“We probably made that,” she said late Sunday afternoon.

The organization’s biggest fund-raiser of the year is the Halloween Night at the Races on Oct. 27 at Rocky River Memorial Hall, Shucofsky said.

Student organizations were also present at Summerfest.

Fairview High School’s senior class was selling pizza and pop to raise money for its senior prom.

“It will be held at the Rain Forest at the Zoo,” said April Homolak, president of the class of 2008.

She explained that the cost of putting on a prom, including renting a venue, hiring entertainment and hiring security costs about $12,000. That figure doesn’t include After Prom events. The After Prom Committee had a separate booth with a dunk tank to raise their own money.

In addition to last year’s senior class getting hurt in terms of fund-raising due to the cancellation of Summerfest, the class of 2008 was also affected, Homolak told West Life. Each class has to start raising money for senior year activities such as prom pretty much from the time they enter high school, she explained.

The seniors’ goal was to raise $1,000 during Summerfest.

“We probably just about made it,” Homolak said Sunday afternoon.

The Class of 2008 also sold tickets for a car wash this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Genie of Fairview lot at 21405 Lorain Road.

“We’re really hoping the car wash will bring in more support,” said Homolak, who was joined in the booth by fellow seniors Peter Salamon, Molly Troxell and Merianna Shihada.