Press Release: Turtle
Days a Huge Success
Joshua Tree’s Annual Turtle Days Festivities, which was
held on Saturday, May 3rd at the Joshua Tree
Community Center, in
conjunction with the Chaparral Artists’ Arts and Craft Fair, was an
enormous success! This year’s Turtle Days was masterfully emceed by the
Chamber’s newest board member, David McChesney. David did a tremendous
job of organizing the festivities, adding performances by local artists and
musicians, and making the whole affair fun and family oriented!
The Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the following businesses for helping to make this year’s Turtle Days a
smashing success:
- Sam’s Market in Joshua Tree for their generous donation of hot dogs and related items!
- Jelly Donut in Yucca Valley for their bighearted donation of dozens of donuts!
- Both Stater Bros. Grocery stores in Yucca Valley for their kind donations of $25.00 gift cards!
- Food 4 Less in Yucca Valley for their charitable $25.00 gift card donation!
- Wal-Mart in Yucca Valley for generously donating $100.00 in gift cards for prizes!
- Joshua Tree Outfitters in Joshua Tree for providing pet prizes!
- Geneva’s Realm in Yucca Valley for donating a lovely gift basket of eco-friendly shopping products!
- Idavid Graphics in Joshua Tree for designing and donating the Turtle Days 2008 signs!
- Cyber-Photo Graphics in Yucca Valley for designing and donating Turtle Days t-shirts!
- Stitch Art Studio in Joshua Tree for donating beautiful embroidered denim vests!
- Outmywindows.com for donating the recently released MUIR ROOTS…At One with the Wild!
- Clea Benson of Instant Karma Yoga for donating and creating prizes for last Saturday's Turtle Days festival.
We would like to thank the following individuals and
organizations for their performances and presentations:
- The Chaparral Artists!
- Kristina Quigleyfor her melodic vocal performances!
- Joshua Tree Fire Department for the exciting enactment of the “jaws of life” and for their fire house display!
- Mojave Max and Anne Staleyfrom Joshua Tree National Park!
- Miss Joshua Tree Court and Rebecca Cain, Miss Joshua Tree 2008! The fiddle performance by First
Princess Ashley Bianco livened up lunchtime and got everyone clapping! Thank you to Linda Sandefor coordinating the court’s appearance and to all of the girl’s parents and family!
- Joshua Basin Water Districtfor their educational booth!
- Rae Packard of the Joshua Tree Tortoise Rescue for her informative tortoise talk!
- Michael Mucklow for his acoustic guitar performance!
- “Hurricane” Davidfor his lively harmonica and vocal performance! Thank you David for tirelessly emceeing the entire event!!!
- Andromeda Society for having solar telescopes available all day and for the Orv Hunter’s instructive talk!
- Morongo Basin Tennis Associationand Margie Edmondson for organizing the afternoon tennis event!
- Jewels of the Desertfor their cultural belly dancing!
- JT Kid’s Cluband Amy Mercurio and Bill Parquette for organizing kid’s games and activities!
- Michele Givenof the Joshua Tree Clean Team!
A very special thank you goes out to Frank Haggard of the Joshua Tree
Community Center for his
untiring efforts and help!!!
This event would not have been possible without the wonderful
volunteers who helped to make it happen:
- John Simpson, Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce President
- Carrie Yeager, Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce Vice President
- Clea Benson,
Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce Secretary
- David McChesney, Joshua
Tree Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- George Kopp,
Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Vera Topinka, Joshua
Tree Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Scott Cutler,
Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Christina and Michael Delmonico,
Pet Parade Volunteers
- Cheryl Kandel,
Informational Booth Volunteer.
- Mark Soden.
