Much to the delight of the Picnic Committee, the event was very enjoyable and successful. Over 130+ volunteers, young and not so young, joined us from CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), CVAN (Community Volunteer Alert Network), Neighborhood Watch, TARA (Torrance Amateur Radio Association) and a few RSVP Volunteers were in attendance.
The volunteers brought their hearty appetites and a dish to share for a barbeque of hot dogs and chicken legs and drinks, salads, side dishes and desserts too many to mention. Richard Fierro was our chief cook and was kind enough to bring us a pan of marinated beef (very tasty by the way). The air was filled with the smells of fine dining, children's laughter and balloons.
Our very talented balloon artist, Bernie Slotnick, entertained the children with animal balloons of all sorts. Bernie also created a very special lady bug balloon which sort of still looks like a lady bug, but very very small. Well, you get the picture. There were signs, and all sort of games for the kids, like piņada, sack races for the little kids and the grown up kids (humm?) too. A tug of war for the adults - was just too much like real life to me.
There was even a "Silly Hat Contest" which was Caroline Elam's (CERT) idea, as you will see in the pictures below. The bicycle generator experience was a perfect photo op for any photographer who needed bribe money from those of us who peddled aimlessly for about 1 1/2 minutes. The biking, for the most part, made a lot of people head for their treadmills immediately after the picnic. Thanks to all of you Ham(sters) with your radios and whatevers.
We announced Chuck and Charlotte's 42nd Anniversary and let them drown in our lovely rendition of "Happy Anniversary".
As our first annual Torrance Disaster Volunteer Picnic, all in all it was great! We are already working on next year's picnic. Any super ideas please let us know; we are all ears.
A big warm thank you goes out especially to Chuck Lobb, Hope Witkowsky, Kathi Galbasin, Caroline Elam and all the other members of the Picnic committee. Another thank you goes out to all of the volunteers who attended the picnic and helped us along in any way. We think that you are all great!
(Please click on the Thumbnails to see a bigger picture).
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