OAKLAND — Three dozen of Oakland’s District 4’s busiest and most civically valuable residents were honored Feb. 24 at the Laurel Lunar New Year Local Heroes Ceremony and Laurel Lion Dance Parade.
The celebration, hosted by District 4 Councilmember and Vice Mayor Annie Campbell Washington at Laurel Elementary School, noted the efforts of people like Doug Stone, who conscientiously reports illegal dumping and Shawn Poe, who designed T-shirts as a fundraiser for Allendale Park.
“I’m new to the Allendale community and I am really excited to be a part of it,” Poe said as she received her certificate from Campbell Washington. “I want to help make this place as beautiful as possible and I’m using my skills to do it.”
Stone encouraged everyone in the crowd to keep the Laurel District beautiful and clear of dumped items by giving everyone the telephone number of the city’s dumping hotline, 510-615-5566.
“Report illegal debris on the corners,” he said.
The day started with guests and honorees strolling up a red carpet leading up to the school cafeteria. Lining the red carpet was the Montera Middle School Toro cheerleader and dance team who cheered everyone as they walked through the door. The event opened with a cheerleading performance followed by a performance by the middle school dance team.
Campbell Washington called the award winners up one by one and gave them the opportunity to speak to the crowd about their accomplishments. She said Dena Gunning, a Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies (CORE) coordinator, takes preparing Oakland for an emergency seriously and has helped to spread word on how to prepare for earthquakes, fire and other disasters.
“It’s great to be honored for something I truly love doing and that’s the CORE program and neighbors helping neighbors,” Gunning said. “It’s not if it’s going to happen but when.”
Parent Teacher Association hero Leon Taylor said he strives to make the school his children go to a better place.
“It’s not about one person,” he said. “In order to get things done it really takes the entire community.”
The Local Heroes Ceremony was started by former Mayor Jean Quan, who also represented the district which includes the Laurel, Montclair and Dimond neighborhoods.
“These are the people who beautify, clean up and do the behind-the-scenes work to make this district special,” Campbell Washington said. “This is an event for people who go above and beyond the call of duty to help their neighborhoods.”
The festivities continued after the awards ceremony in the Laurel with a Lion Dance parade along MacArthur Boulevard and 35th Avenue. Dragons, pink and yellow, paraded up and down the street, blessing business owners with good luck for the New Year. Laurel’s Chinese New Year parade fell on the same day as the larger San Francisco event.