Pancake Breakfast huge Success
Thank you to all who attended the Dean Christy Memorial Pancake Breakfast on Saturday. For those who were unable to attend and would like to make donations to the Dean Christy Wilderness Education Fund you can do so online, or send a check payable to GVL Disaster Recovery Foundation, PO Box 8303, Green Valley Lake, CA 92341. Please notate on your check you wish it to go to the Dean Christy Fund. When donating through the general fund online, after donating please send a quick email with instructions to apply it to the Dean Christy Fund.
It was a great turnout of over two hundred people. Thanks go to Essa Montgomery and Firefighter Scot Turknet who flipped pancakes in the kitchen; the Women’s Club for donating the fruit bowls; and Jan Cralle for taking tickets all morning and getting the great door prizes. Thanks go to Deer Lick Lumber that donated a drill set, the General Store that donated two compasses , and the museum that donated wooden bird sculptures. To date we have received $1200 in donations, from the event, for GPS units to be signed out to hikers.
The Arrowhead Medical Center Mobile Unit administered 27 non-invasive tests and we were treated to a wonderful color guard by the Boy Scouts of Troop 448 from Running Springs. Kevin Christy gave an inspiring speech about his father and how wilderness education and safety follows through with what his father cared about. The GVLDRF announced the creation of the Dean Christy Wilderness Education Fund which will be used for GPS devises and free Wilderness Education classes. The first class will be held at 8AM on June 27th at the clubhouse, where attendees will receive a compass and map and be taught how to use them while hiking. They will also learn the necessary essentials when hiking whether for an hour, a day or an extended hike. Mike Adams and his staff have volunteered to teach the class which is limited to 30. A sign-up sheet is at the General Store or you can email the GVLDRF at DisasterRecovery@charter.net to sign up.
We were also lucky to have our new County Supervisor Neil Derry and California State Assemblyman Paul Cook present. They both voiced support for the program and support for Green Valley Lake in general. Both officials had taken part earlier in the morning on a tour - conducted by Vice-President of the GVLDRF Randy Rozatti - of the community and especially the fire ravaged areas. Although they were pleased to see some building progress they noted that much has yet to be done and offered their help where ever it could be utilized.
Members of the Rim of the World Search and Rescue team announced a new educational outreach program of their own, in Dean Christy's memory, to educate youth about the rules of wilderness hiking. They also offered their support of the GVLDRF and their desire to work together to improve safety conditions for those enjoying the forest areas.
At the end of the event, architectural drawings were shown of the proposed Resource and Education Center for the Fox Lumber burn site. Dr. Bonnie Farmer spoke about its importance to the community and began taking contact information for people interested in helping to promote the project. Copies of the plans are currently being made and will be posted in the Malt Café building shortly.