Barstow, CA – In hopes of educating local families on water conservation and desert landscaping, Barstow Community College (BCC) will host the inaugural Barstow Water-Wise Festival on Oct. 20, 2018. BCC Trustee Fred Baca and Beverley Lowery of the Mojave Water Agency came up with the idea to create this festival for the community. The Economic Development Committee of the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce has also been on board since day one of the planning and preparation.
This is a FREE family-friendly event that will start at 10 a.m. and will include live entertainment, games, face painting, and a free lunch. It will be held on the main campus of the college, outdoors near the central amphitheater (in front of the Gymnasium). Lots of prizes for the raffle drawing have been collected from businesses throughout the community. The grand prize that attendees can enter to win is a yard makeover worth up to $6,000, courtesy of Unique Landscaping. The makeover will be limited to the residence’s front yard up to 1,000 square feet. Winners must live within the following zip codes: 92311 (Barstow), 92398 (Yermo) and 92327 (Daggett). All adult attendees will be eligible for the other raffle prizes. Torro, Rainbird, Home Depot, The Barstow Station, Walmart, and all of the companies and organizations manning the booths at the festival have contributed raffle prizes.
Victor Valley Transit Authority is sponsoring the BCC Assoicated Student Government (ASG) to give out free hot dogs, along with Kona Ice providing frozen treats. Autism Behavior Services is providing a bounce house for the kids! Educational classes will be held throughout the event, teaching families how to conserve water and energy both at home and at work through water-wise tools, techniques and practices.
Dr. Eva Bagg, Superintendent-President of Barstow Community College, observed, “This festival is a community- wide collaborative project to increase public awareness of water conservation efforts here in the High Desert. It is important to all of us. At the college we have benefited greatly from our relationship with the Mojave Water Agency. We have been changing and improving our campus landscaping to more drought resistant and sustainable landscaping that will thrive and beautify our community. We are partnering with the Mojave Water Agency, and many city, county and private businesses and organizations to host the upcoming Water-Wise event on our campus.”
The Water-Wise Festival will be held at Barstow Community College, 2700 Barstow Road, Barstow. Additional sponsors, who have provided administrative and financial support, include: The Mojave Water Agency, Golden State Water company, Barstow College Foundation, Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce, The City of Barstow, San Bernardino County, High Desert Realtors Association, Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate, Dee-Lux Realty, Victor Valley Transit Authority, Liberty Utilities, BNSF Railroads, Brubaker-Mann, ecBarstow, Pace Services, Printing Solutions, and Town & Country.
Links to the videos promoting the Barstow Water-Wise Festival, starring students at the college, are provided here: At the food court - https://youtu.be/CZjLcXVljPw
Between neighbors - https://youtu.be/KGNCi6UpYh4
At home - https://youtu.be/2tm68nAGQeQ
For more information, call BCC Public Information Officer Chris Clarke at 760-252-2411 ext. 7350. Online inquiries can be made on the college website at: www.barstow.edu
