Dealing with the grief and emptiness left behind when a loved one dies is a difficult enough mountain to climb on its own. Add to that the hardship of medical bills and the mountain can feel insurmountable. The Quarales family knows this only too well.
On Oct. 17, Santa Maria High School will hold a Bunco fundraiser in its cafeteria at 5:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event will go to the family of Trishawna Quarles, who died Sept. 16 after giving birth to her son Dorian. The money raised will be split, half going toward Trishawna’s medical bills and the other half will be placed into an educational fund for baby Dorian.
Along with the game of Bunco there will be a charity raffle. Many teachers have already furnished prizes ranging from gift cards to jewelry. Businesses wishing to contribute to the event are encouraged to call Lorene Yoshihara at 925-2567, Ext. 3536.
Although the reason for the event is solemn, the event itself should not be.
“We wanted to be able to celebrate, too,” Yoshihara said. “It’s something [Trishawna] would have loved to do. It’s a social game.”
For those unfamiliar with Bunco (a.k.a. Bonko or Bunko), it’s a deceptively fun dice game that requires no skill whatsoever. After each round of play teams change so everyone gets to play with each other. Players try to score the most points for their teams by rolling designated numbers during a round until the head table ends the round.
The recommended donation for entering the Bunco game is $10. There is only enough room for about 100 people to play, so contact Yoshihara soon. The doors will open at 5 p.m. with the game starting shortly after.
In addition to the official SMHS fundraiser, Angie Bolden, president of the United Black Student Union of California, is putting together a farther reaching event. Trishawna took over the leadership of the step team when Bolden retired. In honor of Trishawna, Bolden is laying the ground work to hold a statewide step competition as a fundraiser for the family. She also hopes to educate people about Sickle Cell Anemia, which was the disease from which Trishawna suffered.
Contributions to the Trishawna Quarles Memorial Fund can be made at Sesloc Credit Union under Aaron or Trishawna Quarels Memorial Fund, or online at quarlesfamily.org or mailed to P.O. Box 148, Nipomo, CA, 93444.
Intern Michael McCone compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via e-mail at intern@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 6-13, 2011.