While at a fundraising yard sale for the W.S. Harlan Elementary School's Fall Festival, I noticed a T-shirt the other day that summed my life perfectly.

"Stop me before I volunteer again."

I know there are many mothers who have a schedule like mine. Club meetings, scheduled events, general tasks, not to mention tasks for family friends and myself keep me running here to there and everywhere. My husband constatly reminds me I have a family at home, so do you know what I do? I volunteer for the next event I have on the schedule.

Usually the end of the year is a busy time for civic organizations and schools. In fact, just this last week I bought two boxes of doughnuts, one t-shirt, a candy bar and went to two fundraising yard sales. For me, this is a way to show community involvement and support our schools.

This month is W.S. Harlan Elementary School's Fall Festival. This is my all-time favorite school fundraising event. I mean, where else can you win a cake at the Cake Walk for a quarter? Not only is the activity fund, but it is also a contest between the classes. The winner receives some wonderful kind of treat like a Pizza Party or field trip to an exotic location.

It is also time again for the Lockhart Garden Club's annual fundraising auction. Proceeds from the event go towards providing a scholarship for a graduating senior. Scheduled for October 28 at 6 p.m. in the conference room of Alabama Power in Florala. Donated items include:

Two sessions of rotation and balance donated by Strickland Auto Parts and Strickland tire;

Two dinners by the Huddle House and Country Folks Buffet restaurants;

An undisclosed amount of groceries donated by Piggly Wiggly;

A shampoo and cut donated by Vanity Beauty Shop;

Various household items and ckaes and pies donated by the members of the Lockhart Garden Club;

The Florala Head Start will sponsor a Fingerprint and I.D. session on Saturday, October 12 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Alabama Power. General information, such as fingerprints, a picture i.d., height, weight, hair/eye color and medical information, will be obtained for the session and forwarded to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Cost for the session is $7 for one child, $6 each for two children and $5 each for three or more children. For more information, contact the Florala Head Start at 858-3060.

The Tri-City Chamber of Commerce will sponsor its annual Chili supper and auction on Saturday, November 9 at 6 p.m. at the Mastar building in Florala.

Tickets for the all-you-can-eat chili supper are $5. For more information, contact a chamber member or the Tri-City Chamber of Commerce at 858-6252.

Last but not least, spend Halloween in the Park with the Lockhart Garden Club at the Longleaf Pine Memorial Park in Lockhart. The group will sponsor a Best Costume Contest at 6 p.m. Winners will receive trophies and age groups are 0-3 years, 4-6 years and 7-10 years. For more information, contact (you guessed it) me at snelson@gtcom.net.