Downtown Carmel is home to numerous events organized by CHS students. More specifically, the students of Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council (CMYC) host events that aim to benefit the community and nonprofit organizations.

CMYC adviser Kelli Prader said the council is a tool to empower the youth community of Carmel.

“The main focus is for them to understand city government, how it works, what kind of things go into planning, implementing, that kind of thing,” she said.

According to Prader, the council regularly contemplates on how to make older events more enjoyable and polished while also thinking of new ones.

Benjamin “Ben” Goldberg, CMYC member and senior, said the group raises funds for flyers, banners and t-shirts through the Farmer’s Market Bike Parking program. Every Saturday morning, students from the council volunteer at the Farmer’s Market located between the Booth Tarkington Theater and the Palladium. They set up a booth near the Monon Trail where students offer to watch over and keep bikes safe for people coming to shop atthe Farmer’s Market. Although the service is free of charge, members collect tips and save them for future CMYC needs.

A relatively newer event is Bow Wow Bash, dedicated to raising money for the Hamilton County Humane Society. According to the CMYC website, the event features a one-mile run/walk, booths from local pet businesses, food, music and activities for dogs and owners alike. This year, it will occur on Sept. 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. at West Park.

Another event, coming up on Sept. 29, is the Ultimate Frisbee Competition. Ritwik Bag, CMYC treasurer and junior, said this is one of his favorite sports-related events. Last year, CMYC raised a total of $300 for Habitat for Humanity.

Prader, Bag and Goldberg all said that the coordination of these events is almost entirely student-driven. As a part of the leadership council on CMYC, Bag said he has helped coordinate every single event, including PumpkinFest, one of Carmel’s largest events of the year. Around 300 people attend the public event where vendors and student volunteers dedicate their time to raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The event is full of activities for families such as pumpkin decorating, a costume parade, a hayride and more. It is also an opportunity for CHS clubs to come out and set up a booth to share what they do to the public. The event raised over $2,000 last year.

“As we’re not really affiliated with the school itself, it’s kind of hard to get in on the announcements,” Goldberg said. “Students tend to be a bit more apprehensive to come to events that aren’t run by clubs that are affiliated with CHS.” However, information about these events is available in the student services office.

Goldberg said, “They’re really just fun, that’s what the events mainly are. A lot of things are for the city, but they’re really just fun.”