There are many people in the community of Lakeside that pull Western Days together, and have done so for the past 51 years. It is always a reminder that community service goes a long way and in my opinion gives back to community with the love and commitment of the community they live in.
There are many people in the community of Lakeside that pull Western Days together, and have done so for the past 51 years. It is always a reminder that community service goes a long way and in my opinion gives back to community with the love and commitment of the community they live in.
For 32 years, the Lakeside Optimist Club has kicked off Lakeside Western Days in fine fashion with its signature Western Days BBQ dinner, and this year was no different. Holding it a little earlier this year over the weekend, the hall at the rodeo grounds was full inside and out enjoying deep pit BBQ beef, the now famous Alvord style Beans and all the fixings to make a wonderful meal. But it is so much more than that. It is a family friendly event and much more like a community event than a fundraiser. But it is important to know that fundraising is what the Optimists do, and all for a wonderful cause, the youth of the Lakeside community. Its support of the El Capitan Stadium and the Lakeside Rodeo is commendable and shows just how the people of Lakeside commit to the community. And it is not only the Optimist that pulls this together—it is the community of Lakeside. This year, River Valley Charter School donated their hours to serve chow to the many that came through the doors. They have other events coming up to support the youth of Lakeside. On June 4, the Opti-Fishing Derby at Lindo Lake is the last event of the year before the Bulls Only Rodeo (July 15-16), and this event, as its mission, is all about the kids.
And the same can be said about the El Capitan Stadium Association. As you enjoy, and spend money this weekend at the Lakeside Rodeo, know for sure that every penny of profit goes right back into the community. As the Optimists, the ECSA has tapped into well-oiled revenue generating machine that not only serves the community, but also brings three days of phenomenal entertainment for those who love the sport of rodeo. The oldest sport in the Americas, as it began long before we became a nation, the rodeo is a one of a kind experience that I believe everyone should at least give it a shot and see this extreme sport of competition.
In conjunction with the Optimists and the ECSA, the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce has held the Lakeside Western Days Parade proudly down Maine Avenue. And like the rodeo, it is supported by many in the community, but also a vast sea of people from outside the Lakeside boundaries. Considered one of the largest equestrian parades in the country, it is full of fan favorites and always has new contingents that make this event fresh each year.
All three of these Lakeside community organizations create a go-to destination for all of the events that Lakeside Western Days embodies. Not only do people from all over the county come to attend, but also many travel from around the nation and the world to be part of the Lakeside Rodeo and all of the events that surround Western Days.
This is a model of perfection in serving the community and its outside the box thinking that brings droves of people to support it is more than admirable.
