The recent grand opening and ribbon-cutting for K. S. Pacific Insurance Company, located at 2814 G Street in Merced, was sponsored by the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber’s Administrative Assistant Elena Gomez and President Rene Gutierrez presided during the event, which was held as a fundraiser on Oct. 5 at Castle Air Museum in Atwater.
The grand opening served the purpose of raising funds to support research and treatment for those affected by Alzheimer’s — a worthy cause that is near and dear to the heart of Kelly Spies, the owner of K.S. Pacific Insurance, who has been operating in the region since May of 2018.
Guests were able to enter raffles, such as the 50/50 raffle, which gave them the opportunity to win a variety of prizes donated by local businesses. The prizes included tickets to San Jose Sharks games, Apple airpods, and gift cards.
“The raffles were to raise money for the Merced chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association,” Spies said. “We raised $300.
“We have no support for the Alzheimer’s Association in Merced. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in Merced County, and there are over 20,000 Alzheimer’s patients, and no licensed Alzheimer’s specialist. The closest licensed specialist is in Fresno, and the next closest is in San Francisco.
“I did this fundraising because I have a loved one with Alzheimer’s who had to go to Fresno for care.
“The neurologist there never even mentioned the help which is available through the Alzheimer’s Association. If an Alzheimer’s patient has a soiled diaper and doesn’t want to have it changed in the middle of the night, you can call for help. They will walk the patient or family member through the steps. They also help family members find doctors and other resources.”
During the event, guests could have their photos taken with local USBA Champion Fighter Lupe “Little Guns” Gutierrez, as well as get his autograph.
West Coast Fitness and MMA at 2954 Beachwood Avenue in Merced supplied MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighters in an official attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most MMA fighters shoved into a Chevy. The car for the record setting attempt, a Chevy Trax, was donated by Auto Resources in Merced.
The fighters, some sitting and some lying flat in the Chevy Trax, totaled 16.
Spies said, “We won’t know if we achieved the record until after Guinness reviews the witness forms and the video submission. Guinness requires 15 weeks for review time. Then they will send us a notice as to whether the attempt was declined or accepted. We do believe we’ve achieved this because in this category, no one has shoved this many MMA Fighters into a Chevy before.
“I have no connection to MMA, but I learned that Lupe ‘Little Guns’ Gutierrez is a boxer who has a form of Alzheimer’s where he has memory issues, and that comes from getting hit in the head repeatedly. It’s interesting the way the connection came about.”