Poway Valley Garden Club to Hold 'End of the Year' Party

DANCE AND PILATES A PLENTY

Dance and Pilates combined on May 21, at the grand launch of Xtend Barre Scripps Poway. The business promotes a healthy lifestyle featuring ballet-inspired fitness routines. The full-house of guests were treated to a workout with master instructor Rockwell Williamson, who flew in from Vegas for the occasion, and nibbles from Yanni's Bistro and Nothing Bundt Cakes. Best of all, 100 percent of the money ($20-a-head collected at the door) went to the Chelsea's Light Foundation.

HOMELESS AND SENIOR OUTREACH

The Friends and Family Community Connection sends volunteers to the downtown Salvation Army building on the first Monday of every month to prepare a meal and provide clothing and hygiene kits to our homeless community. If you're available to volunteer on Monday, June 6 at 6 p.m., get in touch with FFCC and don't come empty-handed. They need clothing, blankets, sox, bottled water, tooth brushes and paste, disposable razors and maybe a special surprise like a book or a card game you've enjoyed. FFCC also teams with the San Diego Food Bank and the Salvation Army on the fourth Tuesday of each month to provide food to low income adult seniors living in downtown San Diego. Find out more at ffccsd.org.

GARDEN PARTY

The Poway Valley Garden Club is holding its "end of the year" party at Templar's Hall in Old Poway Park on Wednesday, June 8. They'll be installing new officers and enjoying a pot luck lunch and photos from the past year. The group's mission is to promote interest in gardening and enhance the beauty of the community. Their multiple on-going and new projects include the garden at Lake Poway as well as the Nelson House period garden and the garden around Templar's Hall in Old Poway Park. If you want to engage your passion and get your hands dirty get involved at powayvalleygardenclub.org.

BURN RUN

If you happen to encounter a long parade of fire vehicles with lights flashing on Saturday, June 18, it's not the end of the world. It's the 21st annual San Diego Burn Run. Each year the San Diego fire stations raise money for the Burn Institute through their various individual events and then form a parade to the Del Mar Fair for the Fire Expo and presentation of checks to the Institute. The day begins at each individual fire house. Again this year, The Rotary Club of Poway will be serving a continental-style breakfast at the Poway Fire Station for local firefighters before they take off. Be on hand when Poway's finest pull out on to Pomerado with lights flashing. It's a sight to behold.

5K FOR KENYA

A woman from nearby community 4S Ranch is giving back too. Liz Martin, 21, is part of a six-person team moving to Kenya in July for a two-year mission project to help the displaced people of Maai Mahiu, refugees since Kenya's 2007 violent Presidential election. After a January to May 2010 mission trip there in which she experienced first hand their unacceptable hunger and living conditions, she says she was changed forever and compelled to action. Martin has since rearranged her education plans. To help raise the money necessary for the project a 5K run will be held this Saturday, June 4, in 4S Ranch Community Park.