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School holds sandcastle contest fundraiser at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. See the winner

Students of New Traditions Elementary School worked with volunteers to build a sandcastle at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Saturday. | Source: Shantanu Sharma for The Standard

Hundreds of people descended on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach on Saturday under sunny skies to build sandcastles in a competition that raised money to fund arts education in schools.

The 41st annual Sandcastle Classic was organized by Leap Arts in Education, a nonprofit. Pledges on the event’s website indicated more than $220,000 was raised by the event, benefiting 30 schools.

The team affiliated with Rosa Parks Elementary shows off its work at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Saturday. | Source: Shantanu Sharma for The Standard

More than 20 teams of students and adults competed in the contest, building sculptures that ranged from traditional-looking castles to fantastical creatures with a Halloween theme. The event also included a dog costume contest.

Organizers say the event is Northern California’s largest sandcastle competition.

A participant poses for a photo at the 41st annual Leap Sandcastle Classic. | Source: Shantanu Sharma for The Standard

Companies come together to form teams with elementary school students and work together to design, create and build sandcastle structures. Generally, teams include a general contractor, an engineering company and an architecture/design company. Teams pay a $500 registration fee, and each team aims to raise at least $4,250 for their partner school.

The Best in Show winner was Team Mall of the Pumpkins—Whiting-Turner Contracting, Syska Hennessy Group, Stantec, Buro Happold, Introba and Clarendon Elementary.

Students and volunteers with Team Ghoul School built the sandcastle for Tenderloin Community Elementary School at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Saturday. | Source: Shantanu Sharma for The Standard
A contestant hoists a mini trophy in the dog costume contest at the Leap Sandcastle Classic on Saturday. | Source: Shantanu Sharma for The Standard
Team Mall of the Pumpkins receives the Golden Shovel award at the Leap Sandcastle Classic. | Source: Shantanu Sharma for The Standard
A canine competitor appears in the dog costume show on Saturday at Ocean Beach. | Source: Shantanu Sharma for The Standard
A giant sandcastle in the shape of a pumpkin sits on a San Francisco beach.
A volunteer with Alice Fong Yu Elementary puts finishing touches on the team's sand castle at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Saturday. | Source: Shantanu Sharma for The Standard