LATHROP – Linda Rose was taking her morning walk around the West Valley Mall in Tracy when she saw an advertisement for the community’s Relay for Life’s Bunco Event.
So naturally she inquired about what would go into hosting such an event in the wide-open space of the shopping center.
And it turned out that not only would she be able to hold a Bunco fundraiser for Lathrop’s Relay for Life at the site, but she’d be able to do so free of charge – not having to pay for the space, tables or chairs.
“They told me that Tracy was able to raise $20,000 with their event, but all I could think of was how much it was going to cost us. I was afraid that we wouldn’t be able to afford it,” said Rose, an active member of the Lathrop Relay for Life committee. “Then they said that the tables and chairs they had are old and that we probably would have to rent them for the event – all I could think of was there went our profit.
“The lady told me ‘Oh no. We’ll cover the cost of the rental.’ I was just sitting there with my mouth open – I couldn’t believe that we were able to get to do something like this without having to spend a single dollar.”
The June 23 event – the second in a series of three Bunco fundraisers – will cost participants $20 with $5 of that going towards raffle tickets. Each participant will also receive a free Auntie Anne’s pretzel.
And while individual teams will be responsible for bringing gift baskets for the raffle, the West Valley Mall will also contribute by visiting various businesses and asking for donations that will be included as well.
The first Bunco fundraiser will be held on Saturday, May 19, at the Lathrop-Manteca Fire District station on J Street. Doors for the event open at 6:30 p.m. and the games begin at 7 p.m. The participation fee is $10. Another Bunco night will be held at the fire station on July 7.
After soaring past their goal last year with just over $39,000 raised, relay organizers are hoping that wide community support and the ability to appeal to other communities – a table at the car show the weekend prior to the Tracy event is planned to sell tickets and advertise the event – will help them hit the $53,000 mark come August.
The event – which will be held for the second year at Valverde Park – will begin the morning of Aug. 11.
USA Motors will once again be a major contributor by donating a red 2001 Camaro that will be auctioned off on June 20. Tickets are available for purchase for $20 each.
“We’re looking forward to having the event at Valverde Park for the second year. We’re going to utilize all of the park this year rather than just the front half,” said Rose. “We get a little bit more of a breeze through the park than we did at the high school, and people that are walking by stop in to see what’s going on. Last year we had people stopping in to write checks on the spot.
“It was an awesome thing to see.”
Those interested in the Lathrop Relay for Life – either to become a part of the volunteer team or to get more information about the Bunco fundraisers – can contact Linda Rose at (209) 858-2655 or (209) 609-0308 or Tamara Edwards at (209) 914-7119.
