What can you do on May 31 from noon to 3 p.m. at the third annual Caring and Sharing event?
Well, you can climb on a fire truck, sit in a sheriff’s cruiser, see an ambulance close up, meet our first responders, learn CPR, get your face painted, get a balloon animal or other cool balloon creation, listen to a band, try out food samples, visit with more than 50 nonprofits and see what they do, bounce in a bounce house, bounce in another bounce house, bounce in a third bounce house, get a chair message, listen to a wandering musician, shake hands with Spider-Man, take a picture with Snow White, adopt a dog or cat, and visit some of the 50 stores and restaurants and check out the Artisan Market with local artisans offering homemade goodies (including allergy free and gluten free items) and local produce along with beautiful handmade jewelry!
The Calle Real Shopping Center, located on Calle Real between Patterson and Fairview avenues, will be transformed for three short hours into a neighborhood Block Party and “nonprofit” showcase. Each merchant will have an important nonprofit organization set up in front of their store just so the public can see what it is that they do. Here is a chance to ask question and learn about their important work while having a good time at the block party.
Disneyland costs almost $100 for one ticket! Caring and Sharing is free, and we bet you’ll have almost as much fun.
At the same time all that fun is going on, the merchants in the center will be sharing their storefronts with a wide variety of nonprofits, allowing them a venue to show the public just what it is that makes these nonprofit organizations so valuable to our community. Both the Goleta and Santa Barbara Chambers of Commerce will also have tables and will be supporting the event.
A big thanks to the media sponsors, Rincon Broadcasting-K-Lite, Noozhawk, the Santa Barbara Independent, the Santa Barbara Sentinel, ParentClick and Santa Barbara Big City Buzz. Support is also provided by Tea in Tiaras, Sidekick Creative, the UPS Store and FedEx Office, Doug Giordani, Amy Mah and the many fine merchants of the Calle Real Center.
Come join us for a fun time!
Some of the nonprofits already signed up to participate are: Cottage Health Systems; Unite-to-Light; American Heart Association; Bragg health Institute; Devereux; SB Genealogical Society; Girls Inc.; Sansum Diabetes Research Institute; Tri County Arthritis Foundation; Jodi House; Boys and Girls Club; Rental Housing Mediation Task Force; Domestic Violence Solutions; New Directions Travel; SB Youth Project; Parkinson’s Association; Rape Crisis Center; Alzheimers Association of SB; IV YMCA; Nourish The Children; Toastmasters International of Santa Barbara; Humane Society; Central Coast Type One Diabetes Foundation; Partners in Education, Challengers, sbSNAP; Down Syndrome Association; Friendship Center; Villa Majella; Santa Barbara Response Network; AMR Ambulance CPR Training, United Way; Isla Vista Youth Project; K-9 Pals, ASAP; St. Vincent’s; FoodBank of SB; St. Athanasius; County Air Pollution Control District; SEE International; Friendship center; Anger Management Specialists; Family Services Agency; SB Wildlife Care Network; Friends of Goleta Beach Park; Goleta Library; Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce; Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce; Goleta Valley Historical Society;; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; SBCC New Center for Lifelong Learning; Food From the Heart; Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics; Visitin Nurse Hospice; and Santa Barbara Youth Music Academy.
Presented by the Calle Real Merchants Association. For more information, contact Glenn Avolio at glennavolio@gmail.com or 805.886.5438.
— Glenn Avolio represents the Calle Real Merchants Association.