Board President Ed Wehan addressing the crowd at the launch of VCPF. Photo by Bernie Goldstein.
On May 17 a celebration was held for the launching of the Ventura Community Partners Foundation (VCPF) at Ventura Community Park and Aquatic Center, 901 S. Kimball Road. The family-friendly event will be held at the entrance to the Aquatic Center and included remarks by Ventura Mayor Erik Nasarenko, as well as refreshments, games and prizes.
The VCPF is a new non-profit established to build community and enhance the livability of Ventura by developing and maintaining parks, recreation and cultural opportunities through partnerships and sustainable, diverse funding. For more information, including ways to get involved, visit VenturaFoundation.org or Facebook.com/VenturaFoundation.
At the event VCPF members thanked Board Member David De Candia for his $5,000 gift to provide local youth with Ventura youth basketball programs and swimming scholarship opportunities. As the first donor supporting the new Ventura Plays Scholarship program, the De Candia family name will be engraved on the Donor Wall at the front entrance of the Aquatic Center.
VCPF Board Members Ed Wehan (President), Kevin Clerici (Secretary), Patrick Davidson (CFO), David De Candia, Paul Drevenstedt, Michele Newell, Berta Steele and Norbert Tan were all there to celebrate the day.
In the US, the majority of children enter sports and other recreation classes around six years old. Families with low income, single mothers and minorities start their children in recreation classes almost two years later on average, with available funds being the limiting factor in early action.
“The new recreation scholarship program, Ventura Plays, increases opportunities for all children to engage in community sports, art and cultural activities. Through scholarships the Foundation provides, we level the playing field so more of Ventura’s children can play and develop the social and health skills and habits they will rely on for the remainder of their life,” stated Mayor Erik Nasarenko.
