L.A. County Fair to Honor La Verne Residents

La Verne Day at the Los Angeles County Fair is Sept. 12, and several La Verne community members will be honored that day during a reception, parade and presentation.

The community reception will be at the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts at 3:30 p.m., followed by a parade at 5 p.m. and a Salute to Heroes presentation at 5:30 p.m.

The following are La Verne’s Community Heroes, as provided by the Los Angeles County Fair:

Young Adult Hero

Young Adult Hero Natalie Wharton is an incoming senior at Bonita High School. As a leader, Natalie coordinated volunteer schedules for the Chamber Health Fair and Family Fitness event, yard sale and La Verne 4th of July parade. She has volunteered at special needs organizations, food and toy drives and spends three hours a week at the Casa Colina Hospital working as a volunteer receptionist. Natalie has been described as an energetic and talented young woman who loves to give back to the community.

Jack Huntington Pride of La Verne Award

Salvatore “Chick” Campo is the voice of many seniors in the community and continually donates his time and efforts to the city. He has been a member of the Senior Advisory Committee for 21 years and a volunteer of the Senior Retired Volunteer Patrol for 17 years. He regularly volunteers at the city’s health fair and flu shot clinic and is essential in keeping the lines of patients flowing smoothly and the smiles beaming.

Jim Scranton Pride of La Verne Award

Tom Castillo is an important part of the AYSO Region 112 program. For more than twenty years Tom has volunteered his services to the organization as a coach, referee and mentor. Tom coached his children through their AYSO experiences and now his grandchildren continue to play in the same region. Tom coordinated the Under 6 (U6) Co-Ed division for several years and has helped dozens of coaches through their introductory AYSO years. One of Tom’s most influential deeds is the preservation of the upper division teams. He dedicated his time and efforts to ensuring that soccer players of all ages had a place to play, providing not only young children but also teenagers with the opportunity to bond with their peers through soccer.

Outstanding Older American Award

Norm Faustini has volunteered more than 6,700 hours in the Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol (RSVP) for the La Verne police department. He has served as president of the RSVP group for ten years. Norm is a staunch supporter of the City of La Verne’s Military Banner Program and has been instrumental in procuring thousands of dollars in donations. He is dedicated to planning quality business and housing development as part of the La Verne Planning Commission. Norm was also awarded the Pride of La Verne Jack Huntington Award in 2004 for his service to the community.

To celebrate the accomplishments of these Community Heroes, residents of La Verne are invited to enjoy the Fair for $5 on Thursday, Sept. 12 when they enter promo code laverne at lacountyfair.com/onlinetickets, print the ticket and bring it with them to the Fair.