SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat Dan Suh, a liberal studies freshman, walks over to help out biology junior Ian Musil put up balloons at Spring Fling yesterday afternoon. Suh and Musil are raising money for Muralcles, a group that arranges arts and crafts days and paints murals for children at University Medical Center and Tucson Medical Center. Spring Fling runs through Sunday at Rillito Park, North First Street and East River Road, and is free for UA students with a CatCard.

Club Olympics draw three clubs, will be shortened to one day next year

Attendance at the first night of Spring Fling was in line with projections from student organizers.

As of 10 p.m. last night, 5,229 people had turned out for the carnival. Last year, the first night of Spring Break was rained out, and attendance for the four-day carnival dropped 57 percent from the year before.

Craig Haubrich, Spring Fling's public relations director, said the total income from the evening could not be calculated until today. Organizers are hoping to make a profit of at least $30,000, a figure that would mean each of the nine carnival directors would earn $500 bonuses.

They are hoping to rebound from last year's low attendance by drawing 50,000 people to the event, a number that would be on par with number for Spring Fling 2000.

Haubrich said a few more hundred people were expected before the event ended at midnight. The busiest hours were between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., he said.

Thursday night of the 2000 event had an attendance of 5,629.

"If things continue at this rate we should meet our goal," Haubrich said. "We take every day for what its worth."

He said Saturday, family night, will be the busiest day of the event.

Toward the end of the night, Associated Students of the University of Arizona Sen. Jennifer Reece, executive vice president-elect, announced the winners of the Club Olympics, which was held on the Mall this week.

Reece worked throughout the semester on creating and organizing the event. She had originally planned on having 20 clubs, but only three participated.

"It was a great learning experience," Reece said.

The next Club Olympics will be held during Homecoming, and Reece said she plans to have the entire event take place in one afternoon rather than stretching it out over three days.

Alpha Kappa Psi won the Olympics. Sophos Sophomore Honorary and Chain Gang also competed in the event.

Reece said because of a lack of interest, Wednesday's talent show portion of the Olympics was cancelled.

In February, the ASUA Senate approved $1,360.80 for the Club Olympics, but Reece said only about $800 was actually used.

The rest of the funds will roll into the summer club fund.