In continuation to the post on Wednesday.

The Club is hoping to reopen its doors to the many children who are still in need of their services.  Current deadlines have been set for funding.  The club must have bank account balances of at least $75,000 by November 1, 2008 in order to reopen.  They will also need to increase the cost of membership from $10 per child per year to $20 per child per month in order to stay open.  Families who cannot afford the membership fees will not be turned away. 

The club has been without a corporate sponsor since 2003 and would love for a company to sponsor them.  After being in operation for 10 years and helping so many children, it would be a shame to not be able to stay in operation.

Look for more upcoming events that will directly benefit the Harry H. Baker Boys and Girls Club.  On Saturday, June 14th, come join Mat and Shred It in the Sierra Star parking lot.  Bring up to 3 boxes or bags of paper to shred for free.  There will be an additional charge for additional boxes.  They will also be selling hot dogs, shaved ice, and there will be a car wash.  Where else can you eat, de-clutter and wash your car all in one stop?

Come on everyone.  Help Mat and the Harry H. Baker Boys and Girls Club!

Mat For Mayor And The Boys And Girls Club Part I Of II

Mat Sands is running for honorary Mayor of Oakhurst.  He has been working hard to reach his goal by winning the most votes…ie…money for his charity.  He is running to raise funds for the Harry H. Baker Boys and Girls Club.  In February of this year, the club had to close its doors to the public due to lack of funding.  They were hoping that this would only be a temporary closing, but so far they are still lacking the funding to continue operations.

The Mat for Mayor Campaign will run until July.  Each candidate had to pick a non-profit organization to support.   Each dollar earned counts as one vote.  The winner will serve as an ambassador for Oakhurst by attending special events and ribbon cuttings throughout the next year.  There are three candidates in the competition.

Mat Sands has had many fundraising activities to date.  There have been spaghetti dinners at the Oak Room Bar, Movie Night at the Met Cinemas, a traditional Hawaiian Luau at the Sierra Sky Ranch and the Iron Restaurant, fundraiser at Jamba Juice, and Bingo with the Kids at the Sierra Lions Club.  On Thursday, June 12, 2008, there will be a Tri-Tip Drive-Up Dinner at the Sierra Star parking lot.  Forget the cooking and enjoy Tri-tip, beans, coleslaw and roll for a measly $10 per person.  Sounds delicious!

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion to this post.

On Saturday, May 24th, there will be a invitational golf tournament at the Sierra Meadows County Club in Ahwahnee to honor Dr. Gary Pence.  Tee off begins at 9:00 a.m.  The entry fee for golf will be $100 and will include a great day of fun.  All net proceeds from the Dr. Gary Pence Invitational will benefit the ALS Association.

Dr. Pence is a mountain resident and has ALS, which is otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  There is currently no known treatment for ALS and approximately 5,000 new people are diagnosed with the disease annually.  The ALS Association focuses on improving the quality of life for those living with ALS.  This golf tournament kicks off several activities that are planned to benefit the ALS Association.
 
There will also be a fundraising dinner and raffle on May 24th as well.  The cost of admission is only $12 per person.  The ALS Walk will be held on June 1st at the Grizzly Stadium in Fresno.  There is no admission fee and donations are not required to participate, but are greatly appreciated.  The walk beings at 11:00 AM.  All participants will receive free admission to the Grizzly game that begins at 2:05 PM.

If you would like more information about the upcoming tournament, call (559) 683-4494 or if you would like to make a donation, contact Mary Pence at (559) 683-4090.

If you weren’t able to support earlier “Mat for Mayor” fundraising efforts, such as this past Wednesday’s midnight viewing of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” you will still be able to lend Mat your support. Mat Sands is running a great campaign and you can be a part of it.

We hear about how politicians hold these fundraising dinners with the per plate cost being hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is your chance to throw your money around and attend a “political” fundraising dinner. Come out on Sunday May 25, starting at 7pm, for “Spaghetti with Eddie”. When you attend this dinner, to be held at The Oak Room Bar in Oakhurst, you will be treated to homemade meatballs, garlic bread, Caesar salad, and of course spaghetti.

This charity dinner will benefit the “Mat for Mayor” campaign for the Harry H. Baker Boys and Girls club. The cost-$7 per plate-is a bargain because you’ll get to eat well with your neighbors and help support a worthy cause.

Call 559-760-4077 to get more information.

Sober Grad Night celebrations are now popping up all around our country.  For years, some seniors have celebrated their completion of high school with unsupervised parties where alcohol is being provided and consumed.  These sober parties offer a safe alternative for teens to celebrate together and still have a fantastic time.

The Yosemite School Sober Grad Night is in need of funding.  They are currently $5,000 short of what they need to pull off their big bash.  The party will begin at 8:30 p.m. on June 11th and will directly follow the commencement ceremony.  Seniors will able to stay up all night and hang out with friends.  There will be games, food and prizes to be won.

Participants are required to check in soon after the graduation ceremony ends at the high school.  This is a “lock-in” party.  If they chose to leave, they will not be allowed to come back into the party.  There will be prizes awarded all night, but only those in attendance will be eligible to win them.

The committee is in need of big ticket prize items.  Suggestions would be a trip, a computer or even a car.  They are also looking for donations of smaller items that college bound students would need.  Suggestions would be blankets, blenders, clocks, microwaves and radios.  Gift cards are also a good idea.

If just one alcohol related crash, one injury, one arrest, or especially one death is prevented, then all the work that volunteers have put into making a fun and safe party for grads, would all be worth it!  If you are interested in helping out this very worthwhile cause, contact Tammy Thacker at (559) 683-4667 ext. 319.

Relay For Life is kicking off their spring fundraisers around the country once again.  It is the world’s largest fundraising walk held.  In 2007, the Relay For Life raised over $405 million dollars worldwide.  The money raised is used to fund research, spread cancer awareness, cover treatments and cures and celebrate survivorship.

After the opening ceremony, everyone is sure to enjoy the “survivors lap” that is taken by those who have survived this horrible disease.  There are 23 teams that are registered so far this year for the 5th Annual American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Eastern Madera County.  Festivities will be held on Saturday May 15 at 9:00 a.m. until Sunday May 16th at 9:00 a.m.

Team members will run or walk for the entire 24 hour time period.  Each team will need to pay $150 registration fee and each team member is asked to raise $100 in donations.

Each year, luminaries are placed around the track and lit at dusk.  They will remain lit until dawn.   It is truly an awesome site to be seen.  Luminaries can be purchased to honor a cancer survivor or to honor someone who has lost their battle with cancer.   The cost of purchasing one is $10 this year.  If you are interested in purchasing one or need more information on this amazing event, contact Janice Ellis at 683-0968 or Lynette Schrank at 683-5066.

The place to be on May 17, 2008, is Wasuma Elementary School where you can celerbrate life and join the fight against cancer. Each year the American Cancer Society, with the help of many local  volunteers put on the event national known as Relay For Life^®. It’s a time and place where people come to celebrate those who have survived cancer, remember those we’ve lost, and fight back against a disease that touches all our lives.

Join this year and be a part of the celebration and fight for life.

Your involvement will help the American Cancer Society work towards a mission of eliminating cancer and will support much needed services in our community. If you want to be a part of the fight against cancer or your interested in learning more or receiving an invitation, please email Rebecca Morris at rebecca.morris@oakhurstmed.net

The 2008 Coarsegold Rodeo was a great success. Montecino & Associates hosted a booth and enjoyed seeing many past clients as well as meeting many future clients.  Montecino & Associates handed out flags and candy as well as displayed information on the real estate market and many flyers of our properties.

If you did not make it to this years rodeo we encourage you to visit us next year in beautiful Coarsegold California.

For the ninth year in a row, the La Sierra Guild of Children’s Hospital of Central California will have a luncheon to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and benefit Children’s Hospital.   There are 13 guilds that currently support Children’s Hospital.  They hope to fund the construction of a helicopter facility at the hospital over the next five years.  

All proceeds from the lunch will go directly to the hospital.

The festival will be held at Oakhurst Lutheran Church on Monday, May 5th from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.  There will be a cost of $12 per person.   The menu is jam packed with yummy Mexican food for all to enjoy.  El Cid is donating chips and salsa, rice, beans, enchiladas and chile rellenos…..simply divine!
 
Participants will have opportunities to win gift baskets that will be filled with items that are donated by local businesses.  Tickets for the baskets cost $1 each.  You can buy a package deal for $20, which will give you 35 chances to win.  If you are not able to attend, but want to participate in the drawings, no need to worry because you do not have to be present to win.

If you would like more information, please call Patty Privett at (559) 641-2428 for tickets or reservations.  You are sure to have a fantastic time, and benefit a great hospital, and eat some wonderful food as well.

We all like to think that we are self-sufficient, but really, we cannot do it all alone. Sometimes we need a little help. That is where the Community Action Partnership of Madera County comes in.  Sadly, you can’t measure a community by what people do when everything is going well. You have to look at community response to less than joyous events and circumstances to get a true idea of just how tightly knit a group they are.

The Community Action Partnership is there to serve you. Even if you do not find that you are in need of their services, you may know someone who is. If you are fortunate enough to never need this type of assistance, you can rest assured knowing that your neighbors can get the help they need. And when you neighbor is back on his or her feet, they will be able to do more to strengthen the community as a whole.

The Community Action Partnership’s outreach efforts include:

Emergency Shelter and Food
Home Energy Assistance Program
Eastern Madera Escort Program
Eastern Madera County Senior Transportation.

To contact this agency call 673-9173