Poway Gives Back: Honoring a Mayor & Providing Prom Dresses

By Bill Stoudenmire

The Poway Chamber of Commerce will host a golf tournament in honor of former Poway Mayor Mickey Cafagna on Friday, Feb. 28. 

The new annual event will take place at Maderas Golf Club. It will include lunch, an 18-hole scramble and an awards ceremony.

Cafagna was mayor from 1978 until his death in 2009. He championed the construction of Poway's City Hall, the south Poway business park and guided us through the Cedar and Witch Creek fires.

The early bird deadline is this Friday at $175 per player. The regular deadline is Friday, Feb. 21 at $200 per player. For more information and to register to play visit www.poway.com/golf-tournament or call the Chamber office at 858-748-0016.

Princess Project

Again this year, free prom dresses will be made available to high school girls throughout San Diego County, including those at Rancho Bernardo and Poway high schools, who, due to high costs, are unable to attend their prom. 

It's made possible thanks to the Princess Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer organization.

Formal gowns, party dresses and cocktail dresses, both gently used and new, can be dropped off at either of the two Ogden's Cleaners locations in Rancho Bernardo. They are at 12461 Rancho Bernardo Rd. (near Albertson's) and at 15721 Bernardo Heights Parkway (near Sprout's). Each is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dresses for this year's prom season need to be donated by early February.

Also needed are formal style handbags, jewelry, wraps and other accessories. Monetary donations will also be accepted and help purchase dresses in sizes that aren't commonly donated. Send checks with “San Diego” in the subject line to The Princess Project San Diego, P.O. Box 600761, San Diego, Ca. 92160-0761.

Some 1,200 dresses are expected to be handed out from March 15 to 22 at Westfield Horton Plaza and at the El Cajon, South Chula Vista and Vista libraries. Appointments will be made starting in mid-February at www.princessprojectSD.org and you can contact Chairwoman Jennifer Gaston at SanDiego@princessproject.org.

Changing Lives One Ride At a Time

Runners waited for the gun at 8 a.m. Sunday morning in the first PoVa 5K Run/Walk, sponsored by Roadrunner Sports. The race took place at Roadrunner headquarters on Copley Drive, just off the 52 and below the Miramar base.

The PoVa Therapeutic Riding Center, based at the Creek Road Ranch in Poway, provides therapeutic horseback riding to children and adults with special needs. The lessons are given by PATH International advanced instructors. 

The 5K helped raise needed funds for the Center. You can learn more about PoVa by visiting www.PoVaTRC.org.