Gala Glam
Evening of Entertainment Will Benefit School Arts Program
By Jessica Laskey
February 2019
C.K. McClatchy High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Program will hold its second annual Gala on Saturday, Feb. 2, in the school’s 800-seat, state-of-the-art theater.
The evening will feature a 1940s theme—uniforms and era-appropriate attire encouraged—and showcase student performances in music, theater and dance. Proceeds from a special auction item will be donated to the USO.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for dessert and a silent auction, and performances begin at 7:15 p.m. Admission is free for veterans or active-service members. General admission is $35; student and teacher admission is $20. Tickets are available at ckmvapa.eventbee.com. For more information, email ckmgala@gmail.com.
BALLOTS AND BOOKS
The Sacramento Public Library—an active participant in voter engagement since 2012—embraced its role in the latest election with all library locations serving as ballot drop-off sites and voter service centers. For the Nov. 6 general election—the most ambitious effort yet—26 locations were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library members lent their assistance to library staff by accepting ballots, directing traffic and emptying ballot boxes. In addition, teen volunteers manned pre-registration tables at various branches to encourage voter participation.
The libraries took in 139,475 ballots, which was more than 21 percent of all ballots collected for Sacramento County. Teens pre-registered 257 voters at six branches.
LET’S PLAY!
St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School on K Street received a $15,000 Let’s Play Community Construction Grant last year from Keurig Dr. Pepper and the national nonprofit KaBOOM! to replace the school’s 20-year-old play structure. The new playground opened to students last month.
“Our school resides in an urban setting where there is limited access to safe and quality parks,” says school principal Ivan Hrga. “Not only will the students of St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School benefit from the new play structure, children from our neighborhood and parish church will also have a safe place to play.”
Approximately 30 people—parents, grandparents, staff and students—met in November to demolish the old structures and install new equipment purchased with the grant. The finishing touch was added at the beginning of January and students were able to enjoy the new playground upon their return from winter break.
Through Let’s Play, KDP partners with KaBOOM! and Good Sports to build and improve playgrounds in underserved communities and provide grants for sports equipment. Visit letsplay.com for more information.
ROAD TRIPPIN’
Running through Feb. 25, the California Automobile Museum’s “Hitting the Road: Road Trippin’ Through the Years” lets guests explore the historic American pastime of traveling with family and friends during the heyday of road trips in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Depending on the travelers’ age, race and financial status, road trips could be dramatically different.
Also on display are a number of iconic cars, including a 1955 Harley-Davidson Panhead, 1964 Ford Falcon Deluxe Wagon, 1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon and 1976 BMW R100/7.
The exhibit is free with museum admission ($10 for adults, $5 for youth 5-17) and free for children 4 and younger. For more information, visit calautomuseum.org.
FIGHTING COLON CANCER
The eighth annual Sacramento Undy RunWalk will be held Saturday, Feb. 16, at William Land Park. This “fun twist on a serious subject” is organized by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to help raise awareness and funds to end colorectal cancer.
All attendees are encouraged to wear colorful “family-friendly” underwear. Run/walk participants will receive a commemorative pair of boxer shorts.
In addition to raising awareness, the event honors those who have lost loved ones to colorectal cancer and concludes with a survivor ceremony honoring people who have battled the disease.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the California Colorectal Cancer Coalition, which works to eliminate disparities in screening and treatment of colorectal cancer in underserved populations. For more information or to register, visit undyrunwalk.org.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month.
