WHEELS First Fund-Raiser a Big Success

By Suecarol Bartolucci

The 1st Annual WHEELS Museum Youth Community Variety Show took place at the Sunshine Theater on April 10th 1999. The show raised over $2000 after expenses. Everyone enjoyed the show, displays, refreshments and being in the historic Sunshine Theater. This fantastic show included Choral Music, Swing Dancing, Latin dancing, Irish Step Dancing, Cheer/Drill Dancing, Dramatic Skits, and Modern, Jazz, Hip-Hop and Tap Dance Routines! WOW! What a show!

Displays were set-up all over the theater! (Inside and out!) The displays included the WHEELS Museum Booth and photographs of the locomotive repair shops from the Harvey Caplin and Kubic Collections; antique peddle cars and a peddle plane, Santa Fe model train, Henry’s Dream a transportation sculpture, and some classic cars including a 35 Dodge, a 32 Ford and a Mustang.

There are so many people to recognize and thank for their support, participation and help.

The biggest thanks goes to the tremendously talented young performers and their teachers, parents and families for coming out to show their support by putting on an incredible afternoon of entertainment to raise money on behalf of The WHEELS Museum:

Linda Rice and the AGC and ASGC Choirs of the Albuquerque Girl Choir

Cynthia Wagner and the Prep Choir Albuquerque Girl Choir

Ed Torrez and the Chorouster Choir of the Albuquerque Boy Choir

Brenda Dunagan and Denise Kuborn and the Albuquerque Swing Kids

Lisa Zuener-Schoenberg and the Gymnastics is Fun Dancers

Elizabeth Torrez and the On-Stage Children’s Performing Arts Center Cheer Leaders

Yvonne Ulibarri and the YDI Teatro Consejo “Pachuco Angels Latin Dance Revue”

Jane Dixon and the Keshet Professional Junior Dance Company

Sue Ann Gunn and the Albuquerque Children’s Theater

Kathy Anthony and the Fishback Studio of the Dance Competition Team Dancers

Beth and Kim Coleman and the McTeggart School, Irish Step Dancers

Thank you to the show sponsors for their support and donations: The Urban Council, Southwest Hazard Control, First Financial Credit Union, Bond Paint Company, Duran Central Pharmacy, Toys International, TRW, Freed Company, 770 KOB, Target, Garcia’s Tents and Events, Dream Limousine, and The Sunshine Theater.

I want to thank Leba Freed for asking me to put on a show! What a gift the show turned out to be! Of course, the lion share of the thanks and praise goes to the event coordinators and volunteers:

Of course, the lion share of the thanks and praise goes to the event coordinators and volunteers:

Thanks to the youth volunteers (“The Sparks”) for volunteering to help host the show. They did a great job! Thanks to Markey Pierce, Emily Gordon, Melissa and Annie Johnson, Erin and Alex Rhodes, Shawn Gallegos, Corey Neff, Megan Bartolucci, Madi Valenzuela and Tamara Hennig for helping with theater set-up, program distribution, ushering, refreshment set-up and sales, theater set-up, tear-down and clean-up!

Thanks to Jim Gallegos for enlisting the help of his talented friend Don Chase to host the show, donating the signed Unser car for the raffle and lining up the limousine service as a fun way to thank the youth volunteers (The Sparks!).

Thanks to Don Chase of 770 KOB Radio for donating his time and talent to host the show and for doing such a terrific job!!!!! He was wonderful with the kids!!!

Thanks to Scott Rhodes for designing and preparing the program for the show and the WHEELS Staff Badges, Sponsor Boards and WHEELS Museum Display.

Thanks to Vicky Salcido, caterer and owner of Elegant Creations. She made the most beautiful and tasty train, motorcycle and automobile shaped chocolate lollipops (YUM!). They sold out quickly!!!

Thanks to Vicky and her husband P.J. Salcido for purchasing all the refreshments and supplies for the show con-cessions and bringing them down along with their coke machine, coffee pots, tables, change drawer, table coverings and P.J.’s beautiful red 32 Ford Automobile!! And thanks to Vicky and P.J. for helping

Thanks to George Manus and his wife for taking time out of their very busy schedule to deliver the most beautiful transportation sculpture (entitled “Henry’s Dream”) which they lifted and lowered (with a crane!) on to the sidewalk in front of the theater. Everyone absolutely loved this exhibit.

Thanks to James Vigil for his help with ticket sales and for coming and setting up the most wonderful model train display.

Thanks to Abbie Caplin who brought and set up a beautiful photo display of the locomotive repair shops and Blackstone of New Mexico for donating framed pictures of Harvey Caplain’s photos of the locomotive repair shops to display.

Thanks to Dream Limousine for donating the use of two “stretch limousines” for the youth volunteers to take a ride around town in!

Thanks to Rick Bigsby for bringing a few antique pedal cars from his collection to display in the lobby of the theater!

Thanks to Pat Laws and Doyle Caton for helping with show promotion and ticket sales and thanks to Pat for manning the ticket and raffle sales booth and to Rudy Chavez for photographing and recording the show from beginning (set-up through tear down) to end.

Also to J. T. Cangialosi for video taping the show. Jay shot 2 1/2 tapes of video and is currently editing the footage!

Thanks to Monica Ghattas for bringing three 11″x17″ black and white photographs of the locomotive repairs shops to display.

Thanks to Missy Jackson for her help with advertising, contract agreements, insurance arrangements, money collection and deposits of the show receipts!

Thanks to Susan Wilson for preparing and sending out the media releases and special invitations and tickets before the show and for attending the show greeting the media and invited guests and ushering them into the theater to speak with Leba and film the show.

Thanks to Chrisann Karches, Mary Francis, Roxanne Hennig, and Deeann Johnson, for their help with theater and display set-up, tear-down and clean-up!

Thanks to Dave Rosen of Dave’s Mobile Productions and his staff (Special Thanks to Roddy Thompson), Don Schuman, general manager of the Sunshine Theater, John Blumingthal from the Shriner’s organization for bringing his miniature car to use to open the show and Paul Marcucci with On-Time Marketing for donating his time and talent to design a gorgeous flyer for the event!

Thanks to Laura Bartolucci, a very talented performer in her own right, for donating her time to do a terrific job of stage managing!

Thank you to Bay Stevens for taking the time meet the representative form Garcia’s Tents on site and to schedule the set-up and placement and donation of a tent. The tent was staged at the back of the theater to accommodate the performers. Thanks also to Bay for helping promote the show and for helping with the sale of tickets.

Thanks to Dorothy Trainor, Marion Trainor, Michael Griegos, Adele Hunley, Mary Kay Cline, Meg Randall, Ken Zintak, Lee Hammer and their friends and family for their donations to the Museum and for their support of the show.

Extra thanks to the Urban Council, Leba, Jim, Scott, Abbie, Monica, Pat, Doyle, Bay, James, George, Vicky, P.J., Dorothy, Michael, Missy, Don, Rudy, Ruth, Dave, Roddy, Tom, Charles, Susan, April, and anyone I have forgotten for their encouragement, help and support throughout the course of planning, promoting and staging the show!

Thanks to Mr. Vincent Johnson and the Sunshine Theater and Moonlight Lounge for donating the use of the

theater for the show. It was the perfect place and space for the show! Everyone enjoyed exploring and being in the theater. For many (the children) it was the first time that they had been in the theater and for others it was the first time they had been back in the theater since they themselves were children.

They were glad as are we all that the theater has been saved and restored and kept in operation! We will of course do it all over again next year at the Sunshine Theater, so you all come back now You Hear?!