THOUSAND OAKS : Conejo Valley Days Proceeds Divided

Nearly two months after the last candy apples and hot dogs were sold, proceeds from Conejo Valley Days have been divided among several local agencies.

Money from food sales went to the service clubs and school groups that staffed each concession booth. But Hospice of the Conejo, the Thousand Oaks Library and the Conejo Valley Unified School District each received money without ever selling any food.

Conejo Valley Days’ two candidates for grand marshal raised more than $10,000 apiece through dance-a-thons, golf tournaments and other events--and then emptied their coffers to worthy causes.

The winning candidate, Maria Prescott, donated her war chest to Hospice of the Conejo. The second-place finisher, Denise Reed, divided her funds among the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, the school district and the library. “We need the library badly,” Reed said, “and I know our tax dollars don’t cover everything.”

Reed will present the final installment of her donation, a $1,000 check, to the library’s restoration committee during a brief ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce at 4:30 p.m. today.

The library lost its ceiling, carpet and more than 10,000 books in the Jan. 17 earthquake. Deputy Director Steve Brogden estimated that it would cost at least $300,000 to replace the damaged volumes, most of which came from the children’s collection.