Former ‘MythBuster’ heads to town for Georgia Brown fundraiser
Tory Belleci, formerly of “Mythbusters,” will be the featured guest at Georgia Brown Elementary School PTA’s fundraiser on Feb. 28.
Fifth graders at Georgia Brown Elementary School have been anticipating going to science camp this year since they were in kindergarten, says Mike Swettenam, a father of one of those students. The three-day, two-night camp is a celebration for the end of the students Spanish immersion program, before they head to middle school next year, says Georgia Brown PTA President Tracy Cagliero.
To raise money for the fifth grade science camp, Tory Belleci, formerly of “MythBusters,” will be the featured guest at a science presentation dinner on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. The event will be catered by El Compadre restaurant at Casa de las Palmas, 2120 Lothar Lane in Templeton.
Cagliero said Belleci is an uncle to one of the fifth grade students and volunteered to come to the event and do a science demonstration. The owners of El Compadre also have a fifth grade students at Georgia Brown.
Belleci was the daredevil on “MythBusters,” and has been a regular host for Science Channel’s “Punkin Chunkin” for the last five years and is currently hosting “World Access” on the Travel Channel. Tickets to the event will be limited to 150.
“We kept it not too big so we could keep it more of a personal event with him,” Cagliero said.
The students will go to Camp Ocean Pines Science Camp in Cambria the first week of June, just before school lets out for the summer. While Cagliero said the PTA’s goal is to raise $22,000, which will send 77 students, three teachers and nine chaperones to the camp for four days and three nights, she said it is more likely they will raise enough for three days and two nights — $17,000.
“The camp is absolutely amazing,” Cagliero said. “For some of our students, it’s the first time they’ve seen the ocean.” She added that it’s also the first time that some of the students have spent a night away from home.
Georgia Brown Principal Ellalina Emrich Keller said that the students that seem to really come to life at the camp are the ones that struggle in a regular school setting. “It’s so great to seem them in an environment where they’re so successful,” Emrich Keller said.
Cagliero said that because sending the students to science camp places a significant financial burden on many of the families and there is insufficient funding through the school, the PTA and parents need to raise all of the funds through private donations and fundraisers. Emrich Keller said the PTA and community groups have been holding events benefitting fifth grade science camp.
“People have been working really hard to pay for this,” Emrich Keller said, adding that costs for the camp have increased each year and transportation is really expensive.
To donate to the fifth-graders’ science camp fund or to purchase tickets for the Feb. 28 fundraiser, checks may be mailed or dropped off at the school, 525 36th St. in Paso Robles. The school’s office is open from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Open enrollment for the school’s dual immersion program is open now through early April. Contact the school at (805) 769-1200 for more information.
