The passing of Yucca Valley’s Mara Cantelo in September left many in our Morongo Basin wondering about the future of the community organizer’s enormous annual Christmas Day event, “Tender Loving Cause.” Reporter Mike Lipsitz has this story on a small group of would-be elves who are cooking up a plan to keep Cantelo’s Christmas tradition alive…
For the past 30 years Mara Cantelo made it possible for thousands to celebrate the holidays at a Christmas meal topped off with a visit from Santa bearing gifts for kids and a guarantee that no one here had to spend the holiday alone. Her recent passing left the program with a crisis of leadership so large that its continuation remains uncertain at best. A handful of individuals have suggested Tender Loving Cause be produced this Christmas in Cantelo’s memory. The group has set a meeting for people motivated to face an near impossible deadline and make the event happen this Christmas. They meet November 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Cholla Room at the Yucca Valley Community Center. There they’ll gauge if sufficient interest and commitment exists among area businesses, restaurants, non-profits, and individuals to move ahead. For more information, contact Paul Hoffman at 760-365-1643 or [email protected]
MEETING FRIDAY TO DETERMINE IF THE TLC TRADITION CAN CONTINUE
