Ramping Up for Community Fun

Last month, on Feb. 18, the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce had a pre-Smart-A-Thon mixer at Bob Smith Toyota hosted by the Mary Pinola/CV Chamber Education Fund. Not only was this a well-attended event, but it was full of fun, too! Mary Pinola had brought in a brightly lit SMART sign that provided a fun photo op. Food was delicious and beverages plentiful. But perhaps the best part of the evening was the distribution of over $20,000 in grants by the Education Fund. These included Living Beauty Cancer Foundation, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Community Resource Center for Aging, YMCA of the Foothills, Crescenta Valley High School Math Department, Crescenta Valley High School ComedySportz (which also performed at the mixer), Crescenta Valley High School Friends of Falkon Robotics Inc., Crescenta Valley High School Instrumental Music Foundation and Crescenta Valley High School Prom Plus. Determining the recipients was a painstaking and time-consuming task and I, as a member of the board of directors of the Mary Pinola/CV Chamber Education Fund, congratulate Mary Pinola for her dedication to this worthy cause. She’s been at it since the 1990s and her vision has provided funds for those local organizations that might not have anywhere else to turn.

And speaking of mixers, our next mixer is on Tuesday, March 11 at the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, 4469 Chevy Chase Canyon.  The Center has programs for every age group that benefit everyone. I invite you to attend our mixer, which is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., to learn more about the Center and about the Chamber. It’s just $15 for CV Chamber members, $20 for non-members.

The Smart-A-Thon, which we had a mixer to prepare for, is coming up on Friday, March 14  from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. The Smart-A-Thon boasts tons of fun including a special presentation by the CVHS ComedySportz: HSL, a visit by Mr. Lucky and the Shamrocks, a crazy trivia contest and a delicious lunch. Individual tickets are just $60 each or you can enter a team of four for just $200. Visit pinolafund.org to sign up.

The CV Chamber is also proud to partner with several other chambers, including the La Cañada Flintridge and Montrose chambers, in participating in a supportive mixer/food raiser at California Pizza Kitchen in Pasadena (exact address and time is available after March 10 by calling (818) 248-4957 or visiting our website www.crescentavalleychamber.org). The mixer will raise funds for victims of the Eaton Fire. The cost is $25 to participate and we hope to have a strong showing from the Crescenta Valley.

The CV Chamber continues its preparations for our Hometown Country Fair on April 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CV Park. In addition to a wide variety of merchants and non-profit organizations, visitors to the Fair will find our pie-eating contest, puppy parade and the typical, delicious, mouth-watering food only found at a fair. The offerings at the Hometown Country Fair won’t disappoint! So come with an appetite!

There will be plenty of entertainment, too, including local bands, dance performers and more who will fill the day and amaze attendees. Plus law enforcement and safety personnel will be on-site. And did I mention the cars? Oh, yeah – the Fair has something for everyone.

So mark your calendars now to come to the Hometown Country Fair. Free admission!

I look forward to seeing you around town and at our mixer on March 11 and at the Hometown Country Fair on April 26!

Robin Goldsworthy, President
CV Chamber of Commerce