The horses and riders went round and round on the King Arthur Carousel at Disneyland – not just for fun, but to raise money for charity.

The Festival of Children Foundation staged the unique event Thursday morning in Fantasyland, labeling it the “Carousel of Possilbe Dreams.”

Funds raised were based on how many times each charity’s members rode the Merry-Go-Round from 7 to 9 a.m., before the theme park opened.

“Some of them got sponsored for rides on the carousel, some of them got direct donations,” said Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, founder and executive director of the Festival of Children Foundation.

Merlin the Magician was the official host for Disneyland, while Allie Kawamoto, the 2015 Disneyland Ambassador, helped start the event.

Forty-one children’s charities from across Orange County participated.

“This is more than triple the charities that took part in the event last year,” Kawamoto said.

The stated fundraising goal was $600,000, and by Thursday morning there were pledges in excess of $500,000, with donations still pouring in as the morning and number of rides on the carousel progressed.

The person with the most funds raised was Suzy Haner, who raised more than $50,000 for the Orange County School of the Arts.

For more information about the foundation, visit its website at festivalofchildren.org.

Contact the writer: meades@ocregister.com