Scarecrows Help Bring Andover Together As Crews Work To Restore Gas Service

ANDOVER (CBS) - They're bringing a sign of the season to Main Street in a town that could use a positive jolt.

Seventy-seven homemade scarecrows line Andover's downtown. That downtown is still dug up as crews work to restore gas service to homes. But that's not stopping the sixth annual Scarecrow Festival, for a great cause.

"We love the Scarecrow Festival because it brings all different parts of our community together to support the schools," says Lenore Price, the president of the Andover Coalition for Education, a volunteer group of mostly parents that sponsors the event.

There's Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, a unique pumpkin twist on Cleopatra and a classic Italian chef, preparing the pasta.

"Through this alone we've raised over $15,000 to go to support our schools," Price says.

The Coalition collects that money when businesses and individuals sponsor the scarecrows which are constructed by school kids, town leaders and sports teams. They also sell scarecrow "starter kits," and at the end of the month, they'll auction off the works of art. "So anyone can buy one for their front yard," says Price.

The proceeds fund a wide range of school projects. "It's just a great organization that really raises a lot of money to do those things you want to do, but might not have money to do," says Liz Roos, the principal of the West Elementary School in Andover.

And the scarecrows add a new dimension to a shopping trip or downtown stroll.