The residents of Casa de Amigos Mobile Home Park were all shook up by an Elvis Presley sighting on Aug. 2.
Technically, it was James Clark and the Jailhouse Rockers, but families enjoyed it just the same at a special concert benefiting the Sunnyvale Police Activities League (PAL).
The park, which is home to about 915 homes, transformed into a family fair for the evening, drawing 18 vendors with 35 raffle prizes. From 4 to 7 p.m., families enjoyed food and drinks and scooped up as many raffle tickets as possible for prizes ranging from a signed Willie Mays baseball bat to a free month’s rent.
Then from 8 to 10 p.m., Elvis took the stage.
When all was said and done the effort raised $12,150 for PAL.
“You saw grandmas and grandpas dancing with their grandchildren to ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ and it was awesome,” Sunnyvale PAL vice president Lt. Jose Ramirez said. “I’ve worked in Sunnyvale for 16 years, and this was just the best thing to get to see. Every single cent raised that night goes back to our programs and field trips. It’s all about getting kids and hooking them up with mentors and positive role models.”
PAL offers a wide variety of recreational and leadership opportunities for Sunnyvale youth, including boxing, baseball and golf. Having partnered with Reach Potential Movement, PAL also offers the Sunnyvale Youth Mentoring Program, which provides quarterly special events and outings such as laser tag, fishing, hiking and horseback riding.
The original idea was to throw a summer concert for the residents, but as it evolved into a community fundraiser, property manager Brian Pierce said it shaped up to be the perfect marriage.
“We created the perfect storm,” Pierce said. “We have an enormous amount of residents here, and we thought if we could help Sunnyvale PAL and children then lets put this event on as a fundraiser. People were lined up for a block to buy those raffle tickets.”
The Sunnyvale Moose Lodge stepped in as well, cooking and serving hamburgers and hot dogs while residents also enjoyed face painting and a dunk tank that Pierce volunteered to sit in.
“It’s just about the community; it truly is,” Pierce said.
The Casa de Amigos community plans on making the fundraiser an annual event.
