Martinez Business Beat, May 15, 2019

Martinez Community Chorus Spring Concert

The Martinez Community Chorus will present its Spring Concert on Tuesday May 21 at 7:30 PM. This year it will be held at the First Congregational Church, 1229 Court St. Join us as we present a selection of traditional and contemporary songs featuring the Chorus and soloists. Admission is free.

Chamber Mixer Today

The next Martinez Chamber of Commerce Business Mixer will be at 5:30 p.m. today at the Martinez Yacht Club, 111 Tarantino Drive, with the yacht club and the Old Gaels as co-hosts.

Those interested may bring business cards and prizes for drawings.

White Pony Fundraiser Would Expand School Pantry, Other Food Programs

White Pony Express (WPE), which collects fresh food for distribution to the poor and others in unfortunate circumstances, is seeking financial donations, grants and pledges through June 15, the organization has announced.

Pledges up to $300,000 will be matched by a collaboration of three contributors, Luis Gerardo del Valle Torres, the Heart’s Path Foundation and the Gemmer Foundation, the announcement said.

That means WPE could raise up to $600,000 through mid-June, which the organization said would be a big step toward its annual fundraising goal of $2 million.

In addition to supplying fresh food to those who distribute it to the less fortunate, such as Loaves and Fishes in Martinez, WPE also has been taking meals and clothing to survivors of the Camp Fire in Butte County.

White Pony Express was founded in 2013 by Dr. Carol Weyland Conner, spiritual director of Sufism Reoriented, after she became concerned about the thousand who were going hungry while food retailers were throwing away healthy, fresh food.

WPE is a qualified 501(c)(3) charity with 60 regular food donors, more than 65 nonprofit recipient partners and more than 400 volunteers. Since its founding it has delivered 8.5 million pounds of food to those who do not have enough to eat.

Its General Store distributes new and like-new clothing through its mobile boutiques and other events, and has given away more than 500,000 articles of clothing.

Those interested in contributing may donate to White Pony Express, 3380 Vincent Road, Pleasant Hill, 94523, or online at https://www.whiteponyexpress.org/3-angel-match. Those interested mayvisit its website, www.whiteponyexpress.org.

Diablo Valley Mayors’ Summit May 21

The Diablo Valley Mayors’ Summit will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 21, at the Clubhouse at Boundary Oak, Walnut Creek. Besides Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder, mayors Ken Carlson of Pleasant Hill, Mike Anderson of Lafayette, Carlyn Obringer of Concord and Cindy Silva of Walnut Creek will attend and answer a series of questions that focus on regional topics and collaborative efforts being taken to move these cities forward.

Admission is $55 for Chamber of Commerce members, and $550 for tables of 10, and $65 per person for nonmembers and $650 for tables of 10.

Online registration is available on the webpage https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07egbbjs6w0b194251&oseq=&c=&ch=.

Main Street Summer Wine Stroll Tickets Available

Advance tickets for the June 8 summer Wine Stroll are available online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-martinez-summer-wine-stroll-2019-tickets-61122491016?aff=website.

The Downtown Summer Wine Stroll will take place at 2:30 p.m. June 8, giving participants a chance to stroll from one downtown Martinez business to another, getting wine samples and other treats as they shop.

Advance tickets are $25 plus tax and service fee, and any available will be $35 the day of the event. Participants must be at least 21.

Chamber ‘King of the County Barbecue Challenge And Music Festival June 15

The Martinez Chamber of Commerce’s King of the County Barbecue Challenge and Music Festival will take place June 15 and 16 at Martinez Waterfront Park, 245 N. Court St.

The long-running event is an all-in-one outdoor family festival with live music, vendor booths and plenty of barbecue foods. Admission to the public is free.

Vendor booths start at $100 for Chamber members; are $100 to $150 for nonprofit vendors, $200 and $250 for arts and crafts vendors, $350 and $400 for snack food vendors, with an additional $120 for health department fees; and $400 and $450 for commercial vendors.

Vendors are juried, and applications are available online at https://countybbq.com/vendors.

Those interested may visit the website https://countybbq.com/.

Business News Welcome At The Martinez News-Gazette

The Martinez News-Gazette’s weekly Martinez Business Beat column is an opportunity for local businesses and companies to tell our readers about business-oriented news, such as moves, grand openings, awards, promotion of employees, staff changes and changes in goods and services.

Submissions will be edited for length and content. Please include who, what, when, where, why and how, preferably in the body of an email; and please provide contact information.

The deadline is 3 p.m. Friday for news items to appear in the following Wednesday edition. Please e-mail news releases and accompanying high-resolution photographs and logos to martinezgazettereporter@gmail.com and put “Attn: Business Beat” in the subject line along with the name of your business.

The Martinez News-Gazette also appreciates area companies’ advertising patronage. For advertising services, please call 925-228-6400.