The Spring Fling, the annual end-of-year celebration for the Center for Continuing Education Student Government Association, brought a myriad of CCE students and their families to New Garden lawn on Sunday, April 17.

“(The Spring Fling) gives us all a chance to get closer together,” said CCE SGA President-elect and current Activities Director senior Jean Kelley. “It gives us a chance to have fun while at school and shows us that it’s not all work.”

The event, originally scheduled for April 16, was moved due to a forecast for wind and rain. Luckily for the event planners, the weather on Sunday was far more welcoming for the Spring Fling, with clear and sunny skies invigorating the attendees and allowing the joyousness of the event to shine through.

“It’s a really nice day — the weather couldn’t have been better,” said junior Lisa Tanico. “The food is great and the spirit is great. It’s really nice to see everyone, and I love seeing all the kids. There’s a good feeling of fellowship here.”

With weather off of the worry list, the Spring Fling occurred without obstacle. The Fling featured cookout-style food, a live band, a rock wall, and inflatable attractions, including a basketball hoop, a moon bounce, a double slide, and an obstacle course race.

“My kids are so enjoying (the inflatables),” said junior Teresa Gill. “It’s a beautiful day for it, too, with a nice turnout. It’s a good day for parents to bring their kids and let them have a good time.”

In addition to the family-oriented attractions, the Spring Fling also featured an award ceremony to recognize the achievements of various CCE students during the 2010-11 academic year.

“This is really awesome,” said Tanico, who won the award for CCE Student who Demonstrates Outstanding Achievement in English. “It was very unexpected, and I’m honored … I had no clue. They asked me to come and give the blessing, and then one of the planners sort of imparted to me that I should stay.”

“I’m impressed with the overall participation of students in the award ceremony,” said Ricky Graves, husband of senior Gloria Graves. “There’s a good family turnout that has come here to support (the students). That’s what stands out to me the most.”

Looking back on a successful event, Kelley recalled a positive planning process that reflected the positive nature of the Fling.

“We’ve been planning since early January, and we had really great support,” Kelley said. “It honestly wasn’t that difficult at all. It was a very seamless process, just time-consuming.”

But just as the planning process ended, so too did the Spring Fling. With the last big CCE SGA event over, some used the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the past year.

“I offer my congratulations to all the graduating seniors,” said Graves. “My wife is looking forward to graduating. It took a long time to get here, but we’re finally here.”

The Spring Fling will happen again next year, but with a slightly different set of faces. Some will be graduated and gone, while new students will bring their families to the event for the first time.