YAKIMA, Wash. -- Athletic equipment, books, dishes, and a stuffed green dragon with hair scrunchies adorning its neck lined the tables at the Eisenhower High School yard sale Saturday. New this year were the signs marking the tables: "Class of 2013 fundraiser, help us rock our senior year!"

In its second year, the yard sale this weekend in the Eisenhower gymnasium is serving as a fundraiser for the junior class, after the senior class opted not to participate. Vendors bought booths to sell their wares. Concessions, kettle corn and pony rides for small children are available, with proceeds going toward the class of 2011 senior party.

The sale continues 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.

This year, parents of the freshman class also bought a booth to get a headstart on raising money for activities for their senior year.

The need for fundraising became more clear with word that the class of 2010 had to cancel its senior trip due to lack of funds. The trip to Seattle was going to cost $15,000 to $20,000, and the class barely had enough for the senior luncheon, said Bonnie Keen, secretary of Eisenhower's activities office.

"This is the first year since I've been here that we had to cancel a senior trip," Keen said.

Lisa Allison, mother of freshman student Mikal Livingston, said that's what the freshman class wants to avoid.

"It's always a scramble for the parents at the end. Parents get frazzled and it's not as easy to enjoy," Allison said. "This is the time you want to be spending with your seniors before they graduate."

The freshman and junior classes aren't the only ones trying to raise money. Members of Eisenhower's welding class sold their own handmade crafts -- Saturday only -- to buy class materials and finance transportation for future welding competitions.

Their work ranged from a king-size bed frame to wind machines and steel garden arts -- butterflies, hummingbirds, rabbits, roosters and dragonflies. The class made 240 items for sale this year, up from 105 last year, said Gary Kurpgeweit, class teacher.

"I like it. It's fun, fun to do," said Rope Whaley, a 16-year-old Eisenhower sophomore who took second place in the Central regional competition for welding.

Fifty-one vendors are taking part in the yard sale this year.

Jane Parsons is selling crafts, jewelry, memo boards and purses, participating for the first time.

"I was here last year as a shopper, and saw they had such a good crowd," Parsons said, "and the students were such a help."

* Rianna Ramirez, 15, a freshman at Eisenhower High School, and Morgan Snyder, 15, a freshman at West Valley High School, were two of the 10 students to participate in the 2010 Valley Workshop: Stories in your Back Yard at the Yakima Herald-Republic March 19 and 20.

The students did reporting, writing and photography under the guidance of professional journalists. The work produced by the students is being published in the Herald-Republic.