DEMOPOLIS &8212; With games and rides and fun for all, Schoolfest 2008, comes to Demopolis City Schools Friday.

The annual event, which began in 1993, benefits the Demopolis City Schools Foundation. All monies raised during Schoolfest will be returned to teachers in the form of grants awarded by the Foundation in September.

Each school, in a friendly competition for a revolving trophy and bragging rights for a year, plans age-appropriate activities for its students.

In the case of Demopolis High School, co-chairs Annie Robertson and Liz Espy planned activities to try to grab the trophy back from Westside Elementary School. Events started last month with a barbecued chicken dinner prepared by Smokin&8217; Jacks. Approximately, 300 dinners were prepared.

One of the performances of &8220;Seussical, the Musical&8221; also raised money for Schoolfest.

The Foundation awarded a grant to director Jody White last fall to help produce the play.

And on last week, the girls played while the guys cheered at a Powder Puff Football Game held in Memorial Stadium.

At Demopolis Middle School, DMS teachers will be hosting Schoolfest. Lauren Blackeney, chairman, said students have the option in the morning to watch a school-wide using Channel One, or they may pay to attend the talent show in the gymnasium.

The afternoon will be filled with games, food and fun activities. All day passes for Schoolfest will be sold for $7. This price includes the talent show and afternoon activities on the practice field.

The activities include a flag football game, baseball toss, Powder Puff game; punt, pass and kick contest and tug of war. For an extra dollar, students can take part in the ring toss, cakewalk, karaoke and D.J.

U.S. Jones students are will enjoy unlimited games of water balloon toss, ring toss, prize walk, BINGO, duck pond, basketball toss, home run derby, Tiger Kick-Off, Tiger Toss and an obstacle course for $5, said Amy Bozeman, USJ Schoolfest chairman. For an extra $1 each they can enjoy a hayride, face painting, jumping booth, pirate slide, karaoke and a dance party.

Concessions also will be for sale.

Bozeman said the Schoolfest day is the schools main fundraiser.

Schoolfest at Westside Elementary School will begin on Friday, when the students will, for a $7 fee, be able to try out an inflatable slide, bouncing and obstacle course, hay ride, golf cart ride, mural painting, tattoos, karaoke, speed-cup stacking, sidewalk chalk drawing, bubbles, sack race, basketball and more.

Concessions also will be for sale.

The winner of the revolving trophy will be announced at the Teacher Institute in August.

Schoolfest is the major fundraiser for the Foundation each year. Teachers, administrators and parents join in planning and running the events.

Money from Schoolfest is pooled with other Foundation fundraisers, memberships and interest on investments to pay for the annual round of grants. Since the Foundation started in July 1993, it has awarded more than $650,000 to teachers for projects, programs and equipment that cannot be paid for through the school system budget.

Jan McDonald contributed to this report.