Officials Aim to Raise Funds for Festival

The political leaders of Oxnard and Port Hueneme will square off this week, not with words but with four-wheeled bicycles and golf putters. The event aims to raise $10,000 for Oxnard’s Multi-Cultural Festival.

On Thursday members of both cities’ councils, along with the city managers and police chiefs, will pair up in surreys for an obstacle course involving putting, tennis and Frisbee tossing.

The race, which is free and open to the public, begins at 5 p.m. in the parking lot at the Casa Sirena hotel, 3605 Peninsula Road, and is expected to last about half an hour. The winning team will donate $100 to City Corps, a nonprofit organization for Oxnard youth.

This is the first year that a fund-raiser has been held before the annual Multi-Cultural Festival, now in its third year.

The Commission on Community Relations sponsors the festival, which will be held Oct. 24 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center.

This year’s theme is “Unity and Diversity.”

“The idea of doing this [fund-raiser] is unique and different,” said Peter Erdos, the commission’s chairman. “It’s very rare that you see Mayor Sharkey [Jon, of Port Hueneme] and Mayor Lopez [Manuel, of Oxnard] hitting golf balls.”

The five surreys, provided by Beach Rentals, will be sponsored by Jones Intercable, AEA Credit Union, Procter & Gamble, Del Norte Recycling and Casa Sirena and its Lobster Trap restaurant.

For more information, call 385-7947 or 385-7434.