Delaware church cancels spring carnival due to violence at recent events
Church leaders told Action News that the decision to cancel was not an easy one.
NORTH WILMINGTON, Delaware (WPVI) -- A popular church carnival in Delaware has been canceled due to recent violence at the event, officials say.
St. Helena's Church in North Wilmington has been putting on the carnival each spring since the 1960s.
This year, however, a group of young people tried to get in without paying admission on the last night of the carnival in May.
That group then went to a nearby Wawa, reportedly ransacked the store, and threw items at moving vehicles.
Church leaders told Action News that the decision to cancel was not an easy one.
The parish relies heavily on the money generated from the family-friendly event.
"We had to make a very hard decision, we didn't like to have to do it," said Monsignor Stanley Russell with St. Helena's. "It's a shame that so many good people lose the opportunity for so much wholesome entertainment, just because a few people want to cause a lot of trouble."
The church says other avenues of revenue include weekly bingo and the Brandywine School District renting part of the church's old school building.
