LAKEPORT — Ginny Craven founder of Tango Mike has been named Lake County Fair Grand Marshal. Craven”s family ties to Lake County date to the early 1900s. She attended Lucerne Elementary and Upper Lake High School and went on to California State University, Chico.
She credits her college career to the many local organizations that provided scholarships and graduated from Chico in 1985, with a variety of academic honors.
She spent several years working for the San Joaquin County Sheriff”s Office before returning permanently to Lake County in 1990, when she began a series of local law enforcement jobs. During the same period she worked as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for Lucerne Fire Department and was honored as Firefighter of the Year in 1993.
She served multiple terms as the president of the Lucerne Volunteer Firefighters” Association.
Since 2003, she”s been sending care packages to military personnel abroad through an organization she started called Operation Tango Mike, which translates to Operation Thanks Much in military jargon.
Craven credits the Lake County community with providing the support to continue and increase the effort to support American troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Fundraising and maintaining the troop support program is challenging during these difficult economic times. However, the wonderful people of Lake County have always come through and never has a packing party or a shipment had to be cancelled. I am proud to call Lake County home and proud of what our community has accomplished. Supporting our troops is an honor and a labor of love,” Craven said.
In 2008, she was awarded a “Woman of the Year” Star of Lake County, and in 2009 Operation Tango Mike was awarded the “Volunteer Organization of the Year” Star of Lake County. Craven was named an honorary member of both the Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County and the United Veterans Council of Lake County.
In her spare time, she photographs local youth sports, printing the photos and giving them to the athletes to encourage them to maintain their grades and good behavior so the athletes can remain eligible to play sports.
This year, Craven and Operation Tango Mike will be honored by the Lake County Fair as the parade Grand Marshal by the Fair”s board of directors.
Each year the board of directors selects an person who makes a significant impact on Lake County.
The grand marshal leads the parade up Main Street in Lakeport on Sept. 1 at 5:30 p.m., and arriving at the main gate on Martin Street, cuts the ribbon and declares the Lake County Fair open for another year. Operation Tango Mike is preparing its own float to lead the parade and honor both America”s troops and Tango Mike”s volunteers.
The fair parade is the kick-off event for the annual Lake County Fair.
The parade starts at Natural High in Lakeport, travels south on Main Street and ends at the main gate to the fairgrounds with the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The fair dates are Sept. 1 through 4.
