Firefighters Creating Memories

This past Saturday I participated in the Firefighters Creating Memories program at the Big Fresno Fair:

During the course of the Big Fresno Fair, a family with a child who has special needs is selected for an all expenses paid day at the fair escorted by off duty firefighters. The family and firefighters are given free admission, and the firefighters spend the day helping the family enjoy the fair the best ways possible. Firefighters can be seen assisting the children onto rides that might otherwise have not been able to enjoy, or simply assisting families through the fair. The firefighters do everything in their power to ensure the child and the family have a safe, fun, and memorable day at the Big Fresno Fair.

The Junior League of Fresno partners with the Fresno Fire Department every year to assist with this program, and JLF members like myself help the family by pushing strollers, holding purses and diaper bags, doing food runs, etc. Follow Junior-Leaguer Cathleen Hall and I assisted a Hmong family of 11, with a 10 year-old Downs Syndrome boy. It was a long afternoon in the sun, but very worthwhile! I also managed to get a tour of the Fire Station at Cedar/Butler, and ran into an old high school friend in the process!

You can read KMPH's coverage of the program (featuring a different family) here.

Here's a picture of our group: the family, the firefighters who assisted, several members of the "Explorers" program with the Fresno Fire Department, and Cathleen and me.

Fresno Fair Photo Exhibit

Many of you know that this year I had the opportunity to experience being an exhibitor at the Big Fresno Fair! With the encouragement of my Uncle Mel, who's a fantastic photographer and repeat ribbon winner, I picked a set of 7 photos to be displayed (see slide show below).

It was a fun learning experience! I discovered that while it only costs you $5.00 to submit a photo, it will cost 3x that amount to have it mounted properly for the exhibit! Almost $100.00 later I proudly dropped the photos at the fairgrounds. I also had the opportunity to really look critically at my pictures as compared to other submissions (and winning submissions) and determine what I would do differently if I participate next year. I already have some pictures in mind! I will definitely submit fewer photos but spend more to have them englarged even bigger (11x14 vs. 8.5x11) so that they really POP!

I didn't win anything, but but it was exhilarating to be part of the process and see my pictures on display. I had several people call me to say they'd seen my photos and were impressed! And my parents (the Ron & Meg parental unit) drove all the way up from Fullerton just to see the display because they were so proud of me, so that was really special!

The good news..... When I went to pick them up after the fair was over, someone had left a note for me saying they fell in love with one of the photos and wanted to buy it from me! It's the photo of the empty bench, which was taken a couple of years ago on the campus at CSU Fullerton. I sold it last week! I'm thinking this is just as satisfying as getting a ribbon!