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Tuesday's Internet Edition, January 06, 2009.
RM families dance their way toward skate park
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Photo by Wendy Smith
Rancho Murieta teens dance to some of their current music favorites under a tent at Lake Clementia as the Rancho Murieta Youth Enrichment Advocacy presents 'Dancing Under the Stars.' The event was held Sept. 12 to raise funds for a skate park in RM.
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By Wendy Smith
River Valley Times Staff
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The gentle summer breeze over Lake Clementia’s amphitheater on Friday, Sept. 12 provided the ideal setting for “Dancing Under the Stars” - Rancho Murieta Youth Enrichment Advocacy’s (RM YEA) most recent fundraiser to raise money for a skate park in RM.
Attendees were treated to a barbeque and a night of dancing under a lighted tent overlooking the lake. More than simply an excuse for family fun, the event was held as part of a series of events to raise money for a community skate park for youth. Before tallying the proceeds for the evening, $140,000 had been collected for the cause, with $350,000 set as the goal.
Over 250 RM residents and their guests paid $40 per family. RM resident Wendy Mazzoni, who organized the event, said, “When you think about it, our event costs about the same as going to a movie with a family of four, and this way everyone is actually interacting.” Mazzoni estimated that the event, along with the car wash held in August, raised an additional $6,000 to add to the $140,000 already raised.
YEA is also offering shirts emblazoned with a skateboard reading “Got Skate, and RM resident Joe Mazzoni, who was in charge of the food booth, wore his proudly. “I think this is a great event - with more wonderful ones to come - and it is for a great cause,” said Mazzoni.
Not all families who attended had a skateboarder in the family, but they still wanted to support the building of the park. RM resident and parent Kathleen Jones said, “I just think it’s a great idea.” Alternatively, RM resident Sherry Carrillo said that the skateboarding might not always be just for kids. “My husband is 50, and he skateboards,” Carrillo said, laughing.
A cross-generational occasion, families danced to current hip-hop and older favorites like the Macarena and the Chicken Dance. Those less in the mood for dancing conversed on the grassy hill sitting on picnic blankets.
DJ Tom Fretwell said that this was his first time at Lake Clementia. “This is a really fantastic venue,” said Fretwell. “It’s wonderful to see families out here having a good time together.”
In their efforts to continue to raise funds, Wendy Mazzoni said that RM YEA is looking to have at least one event a month. “We’re going to have another outdoor dancing event, a casino night, a haunted house and many other events in the future,” said Mazzoni.
She added that the group is hoping that the money will be raised quickly enough to allow for a 2009 construction date. “We will continue to offer fundraising events until our goal is met,” she said.
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