Patrick "Pat" Catlin has been named President of the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Association (GGSFA) for the 2021 Ccalendar year.
Pat Catlin said, "With the addition of my son, Billy Catlin, joining me as my Associate in the year ahead, and my mother, Sue Catlin, in charge of the VIP Breakfast, three generations of the Catlin family will be working on the 2021 Strawberry Festival concurrently. My late father, Bill Catlin, also served as a volunteer for the Strawberry Festival for over 20 years. It is a great honor and privilege to serve as the President of this wonderful organization."
Pat Catlin also oversees Tents and Electrical for the Festival.
Other 2021 GGSFA Officers elected include: Andrea Perez, President Elect/Community Services with Taylor Perez serving as Associate;
George Skelton, Treasurer/Donations Committee with Suki Carter serving as Associate; and Christine Ball, Secretary/Insurance, who served as Immediate Past President 2020.
2021 GGSFA Directors will include:
- Dr. Dawn Miller, Special Children's Day with Heidi Levesque as Associate
- Laura Neuschafer, Cake Cutting with Malu Mendoza as Associate
- Fred Ramirez, Office/Installation with Frederico Ramirez as Associate
- Debbie Mahoney, Scholarships, with Sheri Larson as Associate
- Sue Catlin, VIP Breakfast, with Patti Catlin as Associate
- Camille Garrett, VIP Lunch with Rachelle Mendonis as Associate
- Ben Santos, Environmental (Grounds/Sanitation); John Miller as Associate
- Bobby Dalton, Parade, with Tommy Donovan as Associate
- Bill Gutaskus, Rentals/Carts/ATMs with Sue Gutaskus as Associate
- Jeff Sanders, Hospitality, with Associate TBD
- Randy Arbgast, Booths and Vendors, with Edi Arbgast as Associate
- Mark Mahoney, Games/Permits/Carnival/Food; Associate Miles Mahoney
- Josh Lindsay, Stage Events, with Angel Zaragoza as Associate
- Steve Sanders, Rides and Grounds with Associate TBD
- Scott Weimer, Parking/Fencing with Marilyn Tortolano as Associate
- Donald Schlensker, Civic Food Booths/Permits, Lon Cahill as Associate
In addition, Janet Pelayo serves as the Festival's City Liaison with the Garden Grove Community Services Department; Lisa Taylor serves as the Festival's Insurance Representative; David Sarell of Pageantry Parades serves as Parade Producer and Steve Moyer Public Relations serves as Festival Publicist.
Pat Catlin said, "Our 62nd Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival will be held on Memorial Day Weekend, Friday through Sunday, May 28 - 31, 2021. The theme for next year's Strawberry Festival will be announced soon. Earlier this year on May 17, 2020 we had to cancel this year's Festival, as a result of the current worldwide health pandemic. As a result, the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Association was not able to generate the profits this year that we typically raise annually. Therefore, in 2021 we will unfortunately not be able to provide all of the donations we have customarily awarded during ordinary times."
Pat Catlin continued, "In 2021, the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Association will continue to donate $2,000 to Miss Garden Grove, and eight $1,000 scholarships to deserving seniors attending the eight high schools in the Garden Grove Unified School District who are pursuing further education at colleges and universities.
"However, in 2021, the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Association will be unable to award funding, as we have in the past, to deserving non-profit organizations, applying for capital improvements who serve residents of Garden Grove.
"Giving back to our community is the primary mission of the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Association, however, we are living in unprecedented times, and need to adapt accordingly, for the Strawberry Festival to stay financially solvent in the years that lie ahead.
"Once the pandemic passes and we can safely resume the Strawberry Festival, as we have for the past 61 years, we will be able to resume funding to qualifying local non-profit organizations serving the Garden Grove community.
"With vaccines for the COVID-19 virus currently being distributed and given to health-care workers and those most vulnerable, we anticipate that we will resume the 62nd Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival during Memorial Day weekend, 2021, in a safe, creative way, which may be different from the usual Festivals presented in the past.
"Exactly what form our 2021 Strawberry Festival will take is currently being discussed among the Strawberry Festival's directors. It is our goal to present a fun and safe event, which will be in compliance with The City of Garden Grove's regulations and the health guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additional information will be announced soon."
The Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is an annual 501(c)(3) non-profit FREE event produced by the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Association, a dedicated volunteer group, which has raised more than $7 million for various charities since its inception in 1958. Under ordinary circumstances, which the world isn't experiencing presently, due the global health pandemic, the Festival's mission and goal is to give back to the community serving Garden Grove citizens by donating to non-profit organizations which provide services for children, seniors, youth, the community, and which support the arts. To learn more and for updates, please visit,
https://strawberryfestival.org/
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