Carnival Will Benefit Children’s Activities

The September Carnival underway at Ritchie Valens Recreation Center will raise money for children’s activities at the Pacoima park.

The three-day event, which concludes Sunday, features rides, games, food and a special concert tonight with performances of Latino music and dance groups, said Chuck Chavoor, senior director at the park.

The recreation center, named for the local singer and cultural icon Ritchie Valens who died in a plane crash in 1959 at the age of 17, will also host a softball tournament today in an effort to bolster a fragile truce among the Valley’s Latino gangs. The softball game, dubbed “The Power of the Peacemakers” by William “Blinky” Rodriguez, a community activist who helped negotiate the initial truce in 1993, will match gang members from San Fernando and Pacoima in a “friendly competition.”

“The most important thing is to keep the violence down, and sports has become a common denominator for these guys,” Rodriguez said. “The fact that these guys can go out there and swing bats, and it’s not at each other, it’s heavy. It’s something we can build on.”

Refreshments and some game equipment are being provided by the Los Angeles County Probation Department and a group of local business leaders. Trophies, courtesy of the recreation center, will be presented.

“We’re glad to help out any way we can,” Chavoor said. “It’s important to let these kids know that someone cares and that they are part of the community.”

The September Carnival will be open from 2 to 10 p.m. today and Sunday at Ritchie Valens Recreation Center, 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in Pacoima.