NATCHEZ — Pleasant Acre Day School’s largest fundraiser of the year was a success and the final dollar amounts were tallied Friday afternoon.

Raffle tickets to raise funds were sold over the last six weeks.

Overall, the raffle raised $4,366 for the school.

Pleasant Acre Director Mary Ann Foggo-Eidt said she was pleased with the amount.

“This is the best raffle I think we’ve had since some years ago,” Foggo-Eidt said.

This particular fundraiser takes place every two years and she said they raised $200 more this year than the last one.

These funds will go toward paying for the two field trips the students will be taking over the summer.

The first is right around the corner, as they are leaving Monday.

Foggo-Eidt said they are going to Tupelo by way of the Natchez Trace.

“The Natchez Trace is right at our front door and the students through the years it took to complete the trace have watched the entire finalization,” she said. “We thought a trip on the Trace would be meaningful for the students.”

Once they reach Tupelo, they’ll hit the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum.

“They all love Elvis,” Foggo-Eidt said.

So much so, that before the raffle tickets were drawn Friday and the winners announced, she said they were listening to Elvis to get excited about the trip.

During the three-day trip, the students will also take a safari trip at the zoo in Tupelo. Foggo-Eidt said despite the travel time, the students gain good experience by going on these trips.

“They’re getting some type of life experience, enrichment,” she said. “They’re learning to adapt.”

The students will also attend the August Mississippi Arts Fair for the Handicapped, which they go to every year.

Foggo-Eidt said it’s key to have the fundraiser to be able to pay for these trips.

“It’s takes money,” she said. “And with gas prices, it’s going to take all of our money.”

Pleasant Acre has also been receiving individual donations all the while, and is still accepting donations.