Stoney’s 84th Birthday
It’s about the kids
By Linda Meckler
Stoney’s Kids started in 1957. Stoney and his wife Bonnie ran the Stoney’s Rock and Roll Shop near Meridian Elementary School. Stoney said, “Kids are our future. I like schools. I also see many kids who don’t have a chance, really.”
Stoney was retired in the early 1990’s when a man from the El Cajon Police Department asked Stoney to help them with funding for a new program called D.A.R. E. Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles. It has been very successful and over the past three years 220 communities have started D.A.R.E. Programs. D.A.R.E is the education of children about the battle with drugs, gangs and violence.
Stoney’s Kids is a non-profit organization which is run by 22 volunteers which are local business owners who donate their time and hearts to this project. At the dinner there were several ways to donate your money. One was by purchasing a balloon. The balloons were $20.00, $50.00 and $100.00. When the balloons were popped inside was a slip of paper stating what you had won. Everybody won something. All the items were donated by local business. The women running this balloon popping fest were all volunteers from Harmonium.
Harmonium is an outreach program for the Juvenile Diversion Program. This program is for 1st time youth offenders that are arrested. The El Cajon Police and the parents sign a contract agreeing their kid will go to school for six months, write and essay, and go to counseling. If all these steps are followed by the kid and parents the kid’s record will be removed. There is a 94% rate of the kids that had been in this program of never having a repeat offense.
The women who were here from the Harmonium Program were, Carolyn Pham, Michelle Zeidler, Program Director, Krissy, Buxton, Program Assistant, Amanda Leslie Gallagher, Therapist, Nancy Riley, CFO, Patti Holson, Treasurer.
When Stoney walked onto the patio escorted by the beautiful girls Miss El Cajon Amanda Olson and Miss El Cajon teen Erika Brenner the crowd went wild calling Stoney’s name, cheering, and clapping. He is really a very special man.
Stoney’s friends and family were out in numbers to help him celebrate this momentous occasion. His two daughters, Tina and Nancy and his son Gregg were there to help with the fund raiser and to cheer on their special dad.
Nancy Stone said, “I can’t imagine my life without my involvement in Stoney’s Kids. I see the money that is raised and I see with my own eyes how it is spent to change kid’s lives for the better.”
The auction was announced by a professional auctioneer Steve Hamann. He did an extraordinary job while he managed to separate the audience from their money in a very entertaining way. The items auctioned off were exceptional and the crowd readily responded.
Jillian Hanson-Cox who is on the board said, “Seeing what he has done for the kids of El Cajon, he changes lives. Kids know when they are cared about it boosts their self esteem.” After the auction Walt Simmons the President of the El Cajon Valley Lions Club presented Stoney with two checks totaling $3600.00.
These are some of the programs Stoney’s Kids sponsor:
Salvation Army Summer camp Scholarships, Bostonia Recreation Center Afterschool Program, Cajon Valley Middle School Afterschool Program, Scholarships for Year Round Recreation Programs, Youth Sports Program for grades 3rd -8th, Granite High School Tennis Courts Resurface, Sevick School Play Equipment, Pool Table for Recreation Center, El Cajon Valley High School Football Program, 6th grade camp, Youth Fun Run, Salvation Army Toy Drive, FAME Flying Hills Magnet School, Harmonium Juvenile Diversion Program, and Back Country Emergency Youth Fund.
Stoney said at his birthday party while his cake was being cut, “Thank you, I will be 84 tomorrow. We will keep working for them and remember No Overhead.” Happy Birthday Stoney.
You can send contributions to:
Stoney’s Kids, 345 N. Magnolia Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020. www.stoneyskids.org. 619-322-7932.
