At the annual Cathedral School fall festival you find hundreds of stories.

There’s the Nine-Needles — a group of older Cathedral alumni who sew a blanket to be raffled off at the festival each year.

&uot;It’s just the Cathedral Spirit,&uot; said Annette Burns, a member of the Nine-Needles.

Many of the Nine-Needles also had parents and children who graduated from Cathedral or grandchildren who attend the school now.

This year, the women sewed a quilt depicting Audubon birds, but every year the theme is different, Burns said.

The group is planning a wildflower theme for next year’s quilt, she added.

And ironically, the members of the nine-needles buy raffle tickets each year, but Burns said she did not think any of them had ever won the blanket.

Festival volunteers also sold raffle tickets for a number of other items Saturday — such as a gun cabinet, a television and beanie babies.

Members of the Emerald Tide Dance Team helped sell raffle tickets for the beanie babies and an assortment of Cathedral Spirit.

&uot;We’re here to support our school,&uot;&160;said Joanna Frederick, dance member.

The winners of all the raffles will be announced today the final day of what is the largest fundraiser for Cathedral School.

The event also includes games for children, food and craft sells.

Suzanne Guido, festival chairman, said the school usually raises about $50,000 at the event.

&uot;We just hope it will be successful again this year,&uot; she said.

The start of the festival also ushered in some of the coolest weather the Miss-Lou has seen this fall.

Guido viewed the cold spell as a positive.

&uot;The weather is beautiful. The people are showing up,&uot; Guido said. &uot;We couldn’t ask for a better day.&uot;