According to Rik Bag, Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council (CMYC) president and senior, CMYC plans to host its ultimate frisbee tournament on Sept. 14. Bag said there will be a fee for entry, and the proceeds will go to the nonprofit organization of the winning team’s choice.

“It gives you a prize for winning, on top of already winning,” Bag said.

While the council members have been busy preparing for the tournament, according to Bag, most of their focus has already shifted to planning for Howl-o-ween, a dog-themed event which was known in previous years as Bow Wow Bash.

CMYC adviser Kelli Prader said Howl-o-ween will take place on Oct. 6 at West Park. This year’s event will potentially feature sponsorships by various venders, a dog parade and other activities. Prader said its proceeds will benefit the Hamilton County Humane Society.

Bag said, “We’re looking at (Howl-o-ween) to not only raise funds for a really good organization, but also (to) get our name out in the community a little bit more.”

Bag said that in between those two community-centered events, the council members plan to have a meet-and-greet with the mayor and city councillors on Sept. 17. This meeting comes earlier this year than it did last year, according to Bag, and the council members plan to attend a city council meeting immediately afterward.

Whether its member are hosting events or meeting with local government officials, Prader said it is difficult to assess the impact CMYC has on the community, because that impact, while positive, comes in so many different forms.

“It’s really hard to measure (CMYC’s impact on the community), because it’s such a wide and varied impact,” Prader said. “I know it always makes a difference.”

Bag said he agrees that CMYC has a large impact, but he emphasized the imprint the council has made on his own life, on a more personal level.

“Before my freshman year, I had heard of (CMYC), but I didn’t even think that I could think about getting in, because I saw some of the profiles of the people (on the council), and I was an entering freshman seeing some of the things seniors do. (Seeing that is) kind of daunting sometimes,” Bag said. “I’ll always keep that with me, because when I came on the council my sophomore year, I had a lot of amazing people really teach me a lot of things on that council, and it definitely shaped what I’m doing right now, and I’d even go so far as to say, the person I am now.”