Holiday Contests And Fundraisers
There are some festive holiday event fundraisers planned in the Mother Lode.
Calaveras County’s Keep the Cheer Here is a County-wide outdoor decoration contest extended registering for the event until Dec. 18. Similar to the Angels Camp Light Up The Night Marry and Bright voting the awards are Clarke Griswold Trophy, Buddy the Elf Trophy, Spirit of Calaveras Trophy, and People’s Choice Trophy. The details are here. The Angels Camp Light Up The Night Merry and Bright citywide decoration challenge drive-thru community voting event is Saturday, Dec. 12, from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. For homes or businesses can win up to $500. More details are in the event listing here.
If you got your ticket for the Drive-Thru Fundraiser for the Calaveras County Fair, your meal can be picked up tomorrow, Dec. 11, between 4 and 6 PM. All proceeds benefit the Fairgrounds’ Maintenance Department and more details are in the event listing here.
Calaveras County Farm Bureau is teaming up with the Calaveras County Fair to host a Holiday Food Drive to benefit the Calaveras County Food Bank. Non Perishable food items can be dropped off at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp or Conifer Communications in San Andreas.
The YES Partnership Annual Holiday Virtual Auction continues and their drive-thru luncheon will be Saturday, Dec. 12, the event listing has more details here.
Railtown State Historic Park is open but only minimally due to the state’s Regional Stay at Home Order to stop the surge of COVID-19 cases and prevent a strain on the health care system. This action will help protect critical care for patients. While the order includes the closure of campground sites in impacted regions, the state also recognizes that mental health is physical health. As such, day-use outdoor areas of park units currently open to the public will remain open. Members of the same household are encouraged to stay local and recreate responsibly in the outdoors. In addition to the day-use and parking area at Railtown the Depot Store and Holiday Baggage Car for shopping is open with limited capacity and face coverings required. Closed at Railtown are; train rides, indoor exhibits, guided tours, special events, and public gatherings.
Statewide many campgrounds across the state remain temporarily closed until further notice or will be temporarily closed. High public-use indoor facilities, including museums and visitor centers and special events and tours continue to be canceled until further notice. National parks like Yosemite are also limited to visitors, the details are in the news story here.
In Downtown Sonora stores have set up beautiful holiday window displays. Vote for your favorites by scanning the code on the right-hand side of the window and participating in the survey. Three cash awards will be presented to the winners; Mayors choice, Peoples choice and Sonora High Schools leadership class choice. Voting continues through 12 PM December 11 and winners will be announced at the Sonora Chamber Virtual Holiday mixer on Dec 15. Sonora Chamber participating downtown stores are also open from 5:00-8:00 pm on Saturday Nights including this Saturday, and next Saturday, for holiday shopping convenience.
The Calaveras Fairgrounds plans to host Spirit of Winter Marketplace with COVID-19 guidelines followed and masks required. There will be craft vendors, antiques and collectibles and photo ops with Santa and Winter Characters. Open-air markets are allowed under the current COVID-19 shutdown with proper distancing and masks according to Tuolumne County’s Education and Compliance department but Fairs are not.
Faith Lutheran Church in Murphys began a fundraiser to renovate a small house located on church property into a bedroom residence which will then be leased to Sierra HOPE for its Permanent Supportive Housing program. The structure needs to be brought up to current code for residential use. Construction includes new windows, new insulation, new heating and cooling equipment, adding a bedroom, remodeling two restrooms into a single bathroom with laundry equipment, and new interior finishes. Completion is anticipated by April 2021. Faith Lutheran estimates it will need $92,000 to complete the renovation and is reaching out to the community for support. Donations can be made online here.
