Poway Gives Back: Music, Pageants, Hearts, Denims & Diamonds

Written by Bill Stoudenmire

STRIKE UP THE BAND!

The 2014 PUSD Middle School Orchestra Festival Concert is Sunday, March 2, at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, next to Poway High, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

The Festival Concert is a performance of orchestra students from the 7th and 8th grade Middle School orchestras in PUSD and the greater San Diego area. Performing this year are three orchestras from La Jolla Country Day, one from Twin Peaks Middle and one from Bernardo Heights Middle. Each orchestra has 30 minutes to perform before an adjudicator who will grade and clinic them. Get more details from the festival host Ulli Reiner at ureiner@powayusd.com.

IT'S PAGEANT TIME

The first orientation of the 2014 Miss Poway and Miss Teen Poway scholarship pageant, sponsored by the Poway Lions Club, is Sunday, February 23 at the Poway Senior Center from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Young ladies who either attend a Poway Unified School or who live in the 92064 zip code are encouraged to become a contestant. You must be between the ages of 17-24 by the time of the pageant for Miss Poway, and between 13-16 for Miss Teen Poway. Not only can you win scholarship money, you can also gain 100-150 hours of community service. Parents are encouraged to attend the orientation with their daughters. The pageant itself is scheduled for Saturday, April 19. Contact pageant director Sharon Gruber with questions at misspoway@gmail.com. The web site is misspowayandmissteenpoway.com.

LOVE YOUR HEART

The 3rd annual Love Your Heart day is this Friday, Valentine's Day, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., when you are encouraged to get a free blood pressure check.

It started in 2012 as part of the County's Live Well San Diego initiative, when the focus was mainly on County employees. It grew last year and now it's county-wide with 143 locations, including the Ed Brown Senior Center in RB, near Starbucks in the 4S Village Center and at Fire Station 40 in Penasquitos. See all 143 locations at sdcounty.ca.gov/hhsa/program/sd/live_well_san_diego/love_your_heart.html.

According to organizers high blood pressure is the silent killer that often goes unnoticed. Many people have it and are unaware. While you're taking care of your sweetheart, take care of your heart.

DENIMS AND DIAMONDS

The annual Garden Road Elementary foundation fundraising dinner and auction is set for Saturday, March 29 at the Doubletree in Rancho Penasquitos. The event is especially important this year as the school lost its Title 1 funding this school year which cost them $100,000 in funding.

Tickets are $25 and you can get them on line at goo.gl/u9z54y. The foundation also needs sponsors willing to sponsor active-military parents so they can attend for free. To be a sponsor or to donate services and items for the auction, contact Claudine Hagerstrom at 619-743-4473 or vicechairman@gresfoundation.org. They're also looking for corporate sponsors.