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Saturday's Internet Edition, July 31, 2010.
River Valley spirits soar at 2010 OKC Corral
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Photo by Sheri Barile
Approximately 400 attendees sit down to a gourmet prime rib dinner at the OKC Corral fundraiser held May 1 at Rancho Murieta Equestrian Center.
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By Sheri Barile
River Valley Times Reporter
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From the brims of their hats to the toes of their boots, folks attending the 13th annual OKC Corral fundraiser in Rancho Murieta on May 1 had a rip-roaring good time. Approximately 400 arrived at the Murieta Equestrian Center for casino-style gambling, a silent auction and to dine on a gourmet dinner and kick up their heels to the sounds of a live band. The event also featured a poker tournament, raffle, photo booth and games like wine ring toss and horseshoes.
OKC Corral was sponsored by Cosumnes River Elementary School and RM Kiwanis and Optimist clubs. Money raised will be split equally between the three sponsors to benefit youth, educational programs and community activities. Event co-chairs Joe Mazzoni, Susan Sozzi, April Mattice, Phil Gibbons, Alicia Correia and Mike Gulden were still working on the final tally at press time.
Attendance was down from nearly 600 in 2009, but Mazzoni said feedback was overwhelmingly positive. "I think we had a very successful event," Mazzoni said. "People really enjoyed themselves.”
One element that got rave reviews was the prime rib and chicken dinner prepared by Red Oak Barbeque and Catering. For CRES Principal Mike Gulden, the dancing was a favorite. “The highlight of the evening for me was when the gaming tables filled up, the band fired up and the boogie shoes went on,” Gulden said.
Mazzoni said the musical entertainment was new to the event this year. “We usually have Stonehouse, which is Darren Sexton’s band, but one of his members couldn’t make it,” Mazzoni said. “So Darren hooked us up with The Groove Thang out of Sacramento."
In addition to the music, a big draw was the gambling. In Texas hold em', Kay Mosher of Wilton won the trophy and a prize. She pulled it off despite the fact that defending champion Brian Bell of RM was there attempting a repeat. Al Dolata, who oversaw the event, found it very exciting. “It seemed like most everyone was rooting her on,” he said.
RM resident Diane Swan won in a 50-50 raffle drawing. She took home $850, and another $850 stayed in the fundraiser pot.
Another fundraiser was the wine ring toss, where participants attempted to throw a ring over the necks of donated wines to win a bottle. Mazzoni said that it was more popular this year than in the past, bringing in over $600.
Other games at the event were horseshoes, beanbag toss and a potty toss. At the center of the equestrian arena a jail cell was set up, and a new sheriff and posse were in town. The Wild West Law Dawgs were back this year to round up and incarcerate anyone singled out by an attendee willing to pony up five dollars to benefit the community. Those thrown in the slammer had to post another five dollars in bail to be released.
Several premium silent auction prizes were captured, ranging from a Reno Peppermill Resort Spa getaway package, to a one-bedroom condo stay near Disneyland, to a one-hour airplane ride in a WWII military plane.
Co-chairs Mazzoni and Sozzi thanked the nine major sponsors of the event and presented each with a potted calla lily plant. Sozzi noted that sponsorships were up this year, despite a slow economy. “The business community here sees the value of this event,” she said. “It’s nice to see how everyone in this community is very supportive of OKC Corral.”
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