On hand to help with the event and ticket sales were none other than Miss Merced County Cassandra Valdez, at right, and Miss Merced County’s Outstanding Teen Marlo Carpenter.
Throughout the night, fundraising tickets were sold to benefit Rotary efforts in the community.
The Chastain table, with Rotary member Galen Chastain himself, seated at left.
Rotary supporters, clockwise from left, Arnie and Barbara Levy and John and Kelly Pedrozo.
Merced Mayor Mike Murphy and his wife Heather were guests of honor at the event.
Rotarians brought out bowls of crab, crab and more crab.
Members of the El Capitan High School Interact Club, the El Capitan High Tennis Team, and the UC Merced Rotaract Club helped serve the crab feast.
Former Merced Police Chief Norm Andrade, his wife Kathy, Carlene Cunningham and other friends await the crab to be served.
North Merced Rotary Club President Rick Marchini and Rotary Youth Services coordinator RoseMary Parga Duran.
Sometimes big community seafood events — those service club fundraisers that occur this time of year — can get a little crazy with the amount people and food involved.
However, the remarkable thing about last Saturday’s North Merced Rotary Crab Feed was how smoothly things went despite the fact they had a completely full house at the Pavilion building of the Merced County Fairgrounds.
Well, the North Merced Rotarians have plenty of experience. They’ve been doing the crab feed for 33 years!
Kudos this year goes to Stacie Arancibia, the club’s president-elect, who was the lead organizer working on the event for past months.
Bob Davis, the treasurer said they sold well over their ticket goal, and he also said he was proud of the club that meets weekly at the Elks Lodge. RoseMary Parga-Duran, the club’s Youth Services coordinator, praised the club for its strong education and literacy focus to improve the community.