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The Strawberry Park Elementary School Parent Teacher Information Committee hopes to earn a significant amount of its yearly fundraising during a new event the group is hosting this year.

Starting Thursday evening, the Strawberry Park PTIC will host Spring into Summer, a carnival and fundraiser to benefit the school.

The carnival will feature rides and games, and PTIC members will have booths set up to sell soda, juice and glow-in-the-dark toys. The carnival is from 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday at the Meadows Parking Lot off Pine Grove Road.

Beth DeBafis, PTIC member and event organizer, said the proceeds will be donated to the school to fund supplies and technology that aren't budgeted, such as projectors and iPods.

DeBafis said the PTIC holds fundraisers throughout the year but wanted to try something different.

"I was just sick of selling stuff," she said. "I thought it might be nice to have a fundraiser we enjoy. We thought, 'Let's just have a fun fundraiser.'"

PTIC President Bethany Aurin said the group generally provides about $20,000 in fundraising dollars to the school each year. She said the carnival took the place of the group's wrapping paper sale, which usually is held in the fall.

"We try to limit it to one big thing per year to not put a strain on people's time or dollars," she said.

She said the goal of the carnival was to raise $8,000 to $10,000 for Strawberry Park.

DeBafis said the PTIC is working with Brown's Amusements, the company that provided the carnival rides during Grand Olde West Days last week in Craig. She said 15 percent of carnival ride proceeds from the event will be given to the group.

Anyone who can't attend but would still like to make a donation to the Strawberry Park PTIC, can do so by calling the school at 879-7550, Aurin said.

In addition to raising money for Strawberry Park, DeBafis said the carnival would benefit Steamboat Springs residents.

"Everything's sort of geared toward the tourists," she said. "This is something that's geared toward the kids and the community."

There's no admission fee to attend the carnival, but tickets will be required for rides. Unlimited single-day ride tickets can be purchased today for $18 at All That Jazz, Epilogue Book Co. and the elementary school office. Unlimited single-day ride tickets will be sold at the carnival for $25. Individual ride tickets also will be available for purchase.