Crowds Come for Fun, Groups for the Funds

By CHRIS CHI

April 23, 1997 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

THOUSAND OAKS —

For dozens of civic groups throughout the Conejo Valley, the hard work starts to pay off today.

That’s because the 41st annual Conejo Valley Days festival--a five-day party for many, but an all-out fund-raising blitz for local social and civic organizations--opens its gates at 5 p.m at Conejo Creek Park.

For Boy Scout troops, churches and booster clubs, the springtime country-and-western carnival is a cash cow, their biggest fund-raising event of the year.

With 55,000 suburban cowboys and cowgirls expected to pass through the midway between tonight and Sunday, civic groups were busy Tuesday setting up food and game booths, where they hope to corral lots of dollars from revelers.

Other groups will be paid by the nonprofit Conejo Valley Activities Corp. to help run the show.

For instance, a team of 120 youths and parents from Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks will pick up cups, food wrappers and other litter left behind by guests. The church will receive about $5,000 from festival organizers for the trash collection effort--money that will go toward a youth group trek to New Orleans.

Pastor Larry Wagner of Ascension Lutheran Church, who is overseeing the cleanup, says he doesn’t mind his Conejo Valley Days nickname: “Pastor Trash.”

Wagner said the cleanup gives church members a chance to assert family values and serve the community.

“We see it as service, “ Wagner said. “I just think [the festival] becomes a great way for the community to celebrate life in the Conejo Valley.”

Perspiring Newbury Park Optimists Club members lugged gas grills and tables into their booths Tuesday afternoon, preparing to sell thousands of barbecue beef sandwiches. Theirs was one of dozens of yellow and red booths flanking a midway filled with a Ferris wheel, slides and other carnival rides.

“This is it,” said Optimist Chuck Castaing, adding that the club hopes to raise $10,000 during this year’s Conejo Valley Days. “We’ll be doing double duty, some of us for five days.”

Dave Melton, the co-chairman for the committee overseeing on-site events at the festival, said that about 60 civic groups will raise money through their involvement with Conejo Valley Days. He said the concentration of groups boosts an individual group’s fund-raising potential, because the mass event brings out so many people.

“For a lot of these groups, it’s their one single fund-raiser of the year,” Melton said. “They can have carwashes and bake sales all year long. They can have that, but I guarantee you that 50,000 people aren’t coming by their bake sale or carwash.”

Civic groups agree to pay 7% of their gross revenue to the Conejo Valley Activities Corp. Through those contributions along with ticket sales, ride proceeds and other revenue sources, the nonprofit group will pay for a festival that is budgeted to cost more than $500,000, Conejo Valley Days Treasurer Dick Elliot said.

George Roberts, president of Westlake Braves Football--a youth group that hopes to raise several thousand dollars selling corn dogs, said the league’s annual funding hinges largely on its success at Conejo Valley Days.

“The whole community comes out,” Roberts said. “Corn dogs are the big part of the carnival. We do OK with it.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Conejo Valley Days Events

All events are held at Conejo Creek Park, Moorpark Freeway and Janss Road, unless otherwise noted. Carnival admission is $5 adults, $3 senior citizens and students, $2 children 6 to 12 and free for children under 6. On all nights except Thursday’s Family Night, receive $1 off admission price for taking shuttle bus from Newbury Park or Thousand Oaks high schools.

TODAY

5 to 10 p.m.: Carnival opens

6 p.m.: Badgeroo Contest

THURSDAY

Noon: Interservice club luncheon, Joseph’s on the Green, $18

5 to 10 p.m.: Carnival

5 to 10 p.m.: Carnival Family Night, admission is $3 adults, $2 senior citizens and students, $1 children 6 to 12, $5 unlimited ride wristbands

6:45 p.m.: Wild Heart, main stage

7 p.m.: Children’s entertainment

7:30 p.m.: Country-western star Juice Newton, main stage

FRIDAY

9 a.m. to noon: Invitation-only event for handicapped children, midway