CLEARLAKE — Austin Park in Clearlake will transform into a tropical paradise Aug. 7 for second annual Spirit of Aloha fundraiser. The day-long, family oriented event will benefit the children of the community through the Lake County Youth Center.
Spirit of Aloha will include a variety of free activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Austin Park followed by dinner and show at 6 p.m. Diners must be purchase tickets in advance.
“We are expecting an even better show than last year, which was well attended and enjoyed by many in our community. This year, we have added more attractions to keep families entertained throughout the day,” Alice Reece, event organizer said. “In addition, we have expanded the hula and Tahitian show and our youth and adult dancers are anxious to perform. People can get a sneak peak at our youth dancers this Friday during the Farmers” Market at Redbud Park in Clearlake.”
Spirit of Aloha will begin at 10 a.m. with free live music and children”s activities until 4 p.m. A vendor fair will feature a variety of local and visiting craft and food vendors. “We have several local vendors participating plus there are about six coming to join in this event from out of the county,” Reece said. “There should be a wide selection of food and souvenir and craft items for guests to choose from.”
Reece said that among the children”s activities there will be face painting, a bouncy house and a water slide. “We thought with the lake in the condition that it is in it would be nice for the children to have a chance to play in the water,” she said. “Children should bring their towels and their sunscreen because it is going to be a lot of fun.”
Reece said that she is especially excited about the dancers participating in this year”s show, which will follow activities in the park at 6 p.m. “The dancers have been working very hard to learn the dances they will be performing Saturday evening and the kids are learning a little bit about island culture as they learn these intricate dances,” she said. “Trying to move your hands and your feet at the same time to tell a story is much harder than it looks. Some of these girls are using the poi balls, which are from the Maori Tribe of New Zealand. Some of the moves they are doing take a year to perfect and they learned them in about two months.”
The evening show includes dinner and entertainment. Diners must purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are priced as follows: adults $10; children age 6 to 17 are $5; and children 5 and younger are free. VIP seating is available for $25. Tickets can be purchased at Main Street Bar & Grill and Girlfriends Beauty Salon in Clearlake. Tickets will also be available at the park the day of the event.
Reece said she has been amazed by the amount of volunteers contributing to this year”s event. “Volunteer participation has been outstanding,” she said. “So many people from our community have volunteered to dance, serve food, run booths, sell tickets, clean up, make costumes and just whatever is needed. I”m awed that so many people are stepping up for the children in our community.”
The Lake County Youth Center, located on Golf Avenue in Clearlake, serves children age 6 to 12 years. For more information regarding services offered at the center, please call 994-7281.
Contact South County reporter Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
