HEALTHY COMMUNITIES COALITION NEWS RELEASE
DAYTON- Bring your blankets, chairs and picnic baskets and enjoy the great music at Dayton’s Santa Maria Ranch Park this Saturday, Aug. 18, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The free annual music concert, “Munch and Music,” will feature some of the region’s finest musicians who are donating their time and talents for an evening of music that the whole family will enjoy. You can bring your own food for a picnic on the lawn during the concert, or you can purchase fresh local fruit, popcorn, pizza, bottled water, etc. from nonprofit vendors including local school booster clubs and the nonprofit Community Roots and the Dayton Task Force.
Local bands: Organizer Star Erickson of the Dayton Task Force said the musical line-up includes blues, pop and folk by Alchemy, Sibling Rivalry and Antonn Smith. Headlining is Bob Gardner, former bass player for the band Y & T, a rock band that has sold over 4 million albums worldwide since 1974. (Y&T, originally known as Yesterday & Today, is a rock band that has released studio albums on London Records as Yesterday & Today, before shortening their name to Y&T and releasing albums on A&M Records, Geffen Records, Avex Records and others. )
Snack for good causes: Nonprofits including Community Roots, the Dayton Task Force, and boosters from Dayton Intermediate and Dayton High, are selling affordable snacks, bottled water, and fresh fruits and vegetables from farms in Lyon County as fundraisers for their nonprofit causes.
Dayton Resource Bank for Children: During the concert, Dayton Task Force will sell face painting tickets to benefit their project, The Dayton Resource Bank. The bank was established to assist students in Dayton schools who need funding for school-related items such as class lab and equipment fees for science, math, art, culinary arts and woodshop, and costs for gym, team, band and choir uniforms and equipment. Teachers, nurses, counselors, administrators, coaches and clergy make “third party” referrals outlining needs, and the Task Force addresses student needs with no paperwork for those referring, and no compromise of student privacy. There are no administrative costs, and all of the funds raised for the Dayton Resource Bank directly benefits Dayton area school children. Since 2008, the Dayton Resource Bank has donated nearly $10,000 toward local student needs.
Santa Maria Park is a Lyon County public park with playground equipment, restrooms, a basketball court, a soccer field, BBQ’s, picnic tables and a walking trail. It is located in the Santa Maria neighborhood on the western end of Dayton. Directions: Turn off Hwy 50 onto Winters Parkway into the Santa Maria Ranch neighborhood on the far western end of Dayton. Take the first right onto Denio Street, then the next left onto Tuscana Street to the Santa Maria Ranch Park.
Contact: The free event is being sponsored by the community volunteers of the Dayton Task Force, a partner of Healthy Communities Coalition. Please call Star Erickson at 246-7550 or Quest Lakes at 287-7598 for more information. This event is alcohol and tobacco-free.
