This past November 7th, I had the great privilege of attending Pájaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance’s first annual PVPSA Fundraiser held at El Alteño Restaurant. Highlighting the agency’s many prevention efforts against gangs, truancy, and substance abuse, the group of approximately one hundred persons was treated to an interactive night of speakers, jokes and raffle prizes that highlighted the need to increase community involvement and educational outreach.
The event was organized and conceptualized by Silvia Diaz, Chief Financial Officer of PVPSA, as part of her work with the Salinas-based LEAD project as a means to simultaneously engage community members to become more aware and involved with PVPSA and to raise private funds to continue strides towards improving youth health and opportunities.
The raffle prizes were made possible thanks to the donations of Appleby’s, D’La Colmena, Second Street Café, Lauris in Fashion, Paula Toledo, Jorge’s Shoe Repair, Shalom Cleaners, Safeway Capitola Police Department, Target, Watsonville Police Department, RV’s Computers Inc., AAA Computers, Olga’s Beauty Shop, Alexandra Woods, Watsonville Bike Shack, Baby Boot Camp, Starbucks ( Main Street), Café Ella’s, Cassidy’s Pizza, Second Street Café, Nicholson Vineyards, Fruteria Quetzal, Serene, Skin & Body Day Spa, Lluvia de Petalos, S. Martinelli & Company, AAA (Alfredo Torres), Graciela Vega, Watsonville Certified Farmers Market, and most significantly the efforts of the PVPSA Fundraising Committee. In addition to certificates and gift baskets, there was a grand prize of an iPad. My wife and I actually won three hours of DJ services from “Los Guys.” Rest assured, there will be some Sonora Dinamita and/or Kool and the Gang playing somewhere.
PVPSA is a non-profit PVPSA agency dedicated to providing services to the Pájaro Valley School District, counseling and preventively intervening with needy students through evidence-based intervention strategies. The agency will be hosting another such event next year and welcomes community members to learn more about the agency at their website http://www.pvpsa.org.
