Support Conejo Valley Days

Conejo Valley Days is in full swing. The carnival site is open, the rides are running and the parade is this Saturday. What most residents don’t know is that for them to be able to enjoy those rides, to have the chance to gobble cotton candy on the fair midway and watch that parade, hundreds of hardworking friends and neighbors have volunteered thousand of hours of their personal time to produce this event, which is called the largest community fundraiser in the United States.

The Grand Marshal candidates pick a charity, pull together a support team and spend several weeks canvassing the community and producing fundraising events to gather dollars. It’s long hours and hard work, but community members step forward each year and take on the task. This year the candidates raised more than $25,000.

Congratulations to Silver Spur Shirley and Snake Oil Reyes.

Behind the scenes, the central committee is comprised of key people. Members of this incredible volunteer workforce show up year after year work their way up through a hierarchy of ever-increasingly difficult positions such as onsite chairman, offsite chair or security to become the general chairman. These tasks require the donation of enough hours to be considered fulltime jobs and more.

Service clubs produce the chili cook off and the grand finale parade. A local church sees members serve as the grounds crew, picking up tons or trash for the opportunity to raise dollars for their favorite charities.

All they ask is that the communities now support this astonishing effort.

This week, don’t go to the movies, don’t rent a video, don’t drive to Los Angeles or Anaheim to see a ballgame, go to Conejo Valley Days and spent.

Parents, take your kids to the fair. A lot of lip service is given to wanting some "Good Ole Fashioned Family Fun" for kids to enjoy. Here it is. Take advantage.

In previous years, Conejo Valley Days has put more than $250,000 directly into the coffers of local charities. Help them break the record in 2003. Spend your dollars locally.

See you at the carnival!

For more information, call (805) 371-8730 or e-mail to info@conejovalleydays.com.