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Each year the L.A. County Fair honors Community Heroes – young adults and adults – from 18 surrounding cities during the 23 days of the Fair, Sept. 4 – Oct. 3. Friday, Sept. 10 is Pomona Day at the Fair, a day to celebrate the work of volunteers, humanitarians, students, neighbors and community organizations to make their city a better place to live.
Pomona Day festivities include a parade at 5 p.m. down Broadway featuring community groups and bands. At 5:30 p.m., a presentation will be held to honor Pomona’s Junior Hero for 2010, Elizabeth H. Lopez, and Adult Heroes Beth Brooks and Joe Romero on the Building 4 Stage.
Junior Hero Elizabeth H. Lopez has been involved Ganesha High School’s Junior ROTC (JROTC) and the high school choir, as well as the Ontario Christian Life Center Church. As JROTC battalion Operations Officer she has coordinated and participated in the Thanksgiving food drive, Earthquake Disaster Response Team support, parent-teacher conferences, Operation Jeans for Haiti support and Operation Ganesha Clean-Up support. She is also a member of the campus Bible club. At Ontario Christian Life Center, she is involved with Christmas toy drives and food drives, is a youth counselor, and assists in the Children’s Ministry. She is Sign Language Director at the church, and has signed at the Apostolic National Deaf Conference and other California churches. She holds a Bible study group in her home on Monday nights for friends and newcomers where they discuss conflict resolution, peer pressure, and more. This year she was selected by the Pomona Rotary among many students to attend the Rotary Leadership Academy. “Elizabeth has exhibited the qualities of a caring and compassionate leader who enjoys giving back without reward. She is a model young adult of character and values stemming from the home, touching many lives through her faithful service,” states Martin Telles of the Pomona Unified School District.
Adult Hero Beth Brooks is a member of the Rotary Club of Pomona and Fairplex Friends. She attends City of Pomona meetings and community events. “She gives so much to everyone unconditionally!” states Julie Mestas of Pomona. “She takes on responsibilities without ever looking back. She gets the job done no matter what it takes, and gets it done with a smile on her face. She is so involved in this community that everyone knows her and knows of her. She loves her City of Pomona and her honesty and integrity shows through in everything she does.”
Adult Hero Joe Romero is a retired Pomona Chief of Police. He is vice president of the Boys & Girls Club of Pomona Valley board of directors, and has chaired the Golden Hands Achievement Awards Gala honoring Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Judge Daniel Lopes and Allan Young. Romero serves on the board of Pomona Rotary, where he is a Paul Harris Fellow and was instrumental in the Rotary Youth Leadership Award program. He is a member of the Optimist Club of Pomona Valley. “He has always been very involved in community service and now in his retirement years, he is even more committed to serving the City of Pomona’s youths, disadvantaged and community as a whole,” states Jeff and Roxanne Vaniman of Pomona.
Pomona residents, friends, family and supporters can join their community celebration on Sept. 10 for just $5 before 5 p.m. with a coupon or voucher available at lacountyfair.com. Coupons are also available at the Pomona Chamber of Commerce, City Hall and other community locations. Come for the Fair; stay for the community festivities: parade at 5 p.m. and hero presentation at 5:30 p.m.
The L.A. County Fair opens Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4 – 6 and then Wednesday – Sunday, Sept. 8 – Oct. 3, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Live thoroughbred horse racing at Fairplex Park will be Sept. 9 – Sept. 27, dark Mondays Sept. 13, 20 and Tuesdays.
For information about ways to save at the Fair, visit lacountyfair.com.
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Under the direction of the Los Angeles County Fair Association, Fairplex is home to the L.A. County Fair, the largest county fair in the world, as well as The Learning Centers which encompasses Fairtime Learning, The Child Development Center, The Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC), the Junior Fair Board, and the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts. Fairplex also operates a diverse hospitality business with the Sheraton Fairplex, McKinley’s Grille, KOA RV Park, Finish Line Sports Grill, Cornucopia Foods, and the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and Conference Center (opening 2011). The campus is also home to the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona; horse-racing and Barretts Equine Limited; as well as the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. For more information, please visit www.fairplex.com.
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