Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Moreno Valley in Annual "Fun"raiser

In its annual "Fun"raiser, this year the Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce was moved to raise funds for the Riverside County Regional Medical Center's (RCRMC) CAN (Child Abuse & Neglect) Unit. With raffle and opportunity prize drawings, the Chamber invited the community to show their support for the organization, explained Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce President Oscar Valdepeña. Supportive community members gathered Friday evening at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center. Each year, the Chamber selects a different organization to shed light on its causes and help raise funds. Regulations dictate that a Chamber cannot endorse one or a set of specific businesses, explained Valdepeña, but the "Fun"raiser is the Chamber's "way of bringing awareness to a local charity," he said. The Chamber focuses on highlighting charities and organizations specific to the Moreno Valley area, he explained, and it's a tradition that's stuck for decades, according to Valdepeña. This year's theme was "Celebrate Moreno Valley," and the evening featured a dinner, a welcome by Janet Epstein, Chair of the Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce, and an invocation led by the Salvation Army's Captain Julius Murphy. Prior to enjoying a buffet-style dinner, the audience was led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Jeri Vaughn, Foundation Executive Director of the Riverside County Regional Medical Center Foundation. Following dinner was an interactive game show style event called "The Largest Chain," explained Valdepeña. Tables worked as teams in a trivia contest and winners received free movie tickets. Attendees had the chance to bid on items including gift baskets of edible goodies, golf tickets, wine gift baskets, coffee and other items. The evening's CAN Unit Prize Drawings included a Vizio 50-inch television sponsored by Ayres Hotel and a portable outside fire pit sponsored by Lowe's Home Improvement. Program sponsors included Eastern Municipal Water District and Moss Bros. Auto Group; table sponsors included Riverside Regional Medical Center Foundation, Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas Company. The City of Moreno Valley was the celebration sponsor, and Riverside Physician Network was the event sponsor. Kaiser Permanente and Marinello Schools of Beauty were the Bronze Chairman's Circle sponsors; Fritz Duda Company was the Silver Chairman's Circle sponsor, and Gold Chairman's Circle sponsors included Riverside County Supervisor 5th District Marion Ashley's office, Waste Management and Visterra Credit Union. Dyeann Johnson attended the event with a group from Southern California Edison. A longtime resident of Moreno Valley, she shared she appreciated the opportunity to mingle with community and business leaders. "I was very excited to attend, as a member of the community. I appreciate that local [leaders] are made more approachable. As a community member, I like to know what's going on," she said. Ray Hicks, a region manager with Southern California Edison, is a member of the chamber and past chamber board member. He felt events such as Friday evening's "Fun"raiser were beneficial because "community members and businesses get to network, meet city leaders and celebrate the work the chamber has done."