DECATUR - The hopes of Decatur Celebration organizers that the event's Spring Fling fundraiser over Memorial Day weekend would raise about $6,000 were washed away by intermittent storms.

Celebration producer Fred Puglia was philosophical Monday about the fling's four-day run on the Decatur Public Library parking lot.

"It's God's doing," Puglia said. "It keeps you humble. We did well Thursday and Saturday evening. But we're always subject to the weather. We'd hoped to make $6,000, but I can't imagine we'll do that."

That thought was echoed by Sandy George, secretary of Tinsley's Amusements of St. Louis, which sponsors the Spring Fling on behalf of Celebration.

"We're a weather-dependent business, and there is nothing anyone can do about it," George said.

Celebration receives a percentage of the weekend's profits from Tinsley's Amusements, Puglia said.

"It costs Tinsley $20,000 to set up the carnival," Puglia said. "He's in St. Louis with a larger show this weekend. I talked with him by phone. He said, with the severe storms and rain down there, the weekend was a washout. It really hurt. I feel bad for him."

Celebration moved the Spring Fling from April to Memorial Day weekend in hopes of having better weather than the chilly temperatures and rain of last year.

Selling carnival ride tickets Monday was Ayn Owens, Celebration's festival coordinator. But she wasn't working strictly for the event.

"I'm volunteering for Operation Enduring Support," Owens said. Members of the group that supports military personnel serving overseas were joined by Golden K Kiwanis Club members to run the carnival rides in return for a donation from Celebration's profits for the weekend.

"Last year, Operation Enduring Support spent more than $3,500 in postage," Owens said. "It's just one of the community organizations that benefits from the Celebration. We estimated last year those community organizations earned about $140,000 as a result of the Celebration."

Occasional sprinkles Monday afternoon didn't deter people looking for some fun.

Angela Williams of Decatur brought her daughter and her niece to ride the rides.

"We've been here all three days so far," Williams said. "We love the corn dogs. It's starting to sprinkle, but we want to ride as much as we can."

Tim and Crystal Sears of Decatur brought their daughters, ages 7 and 11, to have some fun between the raindrops.

"We had to come; they've been asking us all weekend," Crystal Sears said.

Ron Ingram can be reached at ringram@herald-review.com or 421-7973.