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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (July 31, 2015)
12A • July 31, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Zumba fundraiser to benefit local family Campuzanos receive support from Seaside, Cannon Beach communities By Katherine Lacaze EO Media Group After a devastating loss, a Seaside family found an outpouring of love and sup- port from their communi- ties. A Friday, Aug. 7 event at Seaside High School will continue to demonstrate that community support as Zumba instructors from Knappa to Nehalem will host a Zumba dance par- ty fundraiser to bene¿t the Campuzano family. During a January trip to visit family in Mexico, the Campuzanos were stay- ing overnight in a hotel in California when their 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe and an ac- companying trailer ¿lled with personal items were sto- len. Overall, the stolen items were estimated at $30,000. Since then, the commu- nities in both Seaside and Cannon Beach have re- sponded with support and care, said Campuzano, who lives in Seaside and works at Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters and the Lumber- yard Rotisserie & Grill in Cannon Beach. “I got a lot of love from everyone, and it makes my heart so happy,” Carmen Campuzano said. A Cannon Beach couple, Rex and Diane Amos, creat- ed the Campuzano Family Fund, and donations can be made at any Columbia Bank branch on the coast from Astoria to Tillamook. Now, the North Coast Zumba Network, comprised of The event will be Aug. 7, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Seaside High School. The event will be- gin with a 30-minute Zumba kids dance party. A Zumba party for anyone 12 and old- er will follow at 7 p.m. Zumba is an internation- al dance-¿tness program instructor Erin Hofseth de- scribed in a news release as “a fun, individualized, effective form of exercise and self-expression.” Admission to the bene¿t is a suggested donation to go to the Campuzano Fam- ily Fund. Tickets can be purchased in advance from Zumba instructors in the area, at 3aci¿c Crest Cot- tage in Gearhart or at the door the night of the fund- raiser. One ticket includes admission to both events. The North Coast Zumba Network’s goal “is to offer a compassionate commu- nity a way to respond cre- atively and generously to the unfortunate events ex- perienced by fellow com- munity members,” Hofseth wrote. A tragic incident Carmen Campuzano was on her way to Mexico in January with her husband, Victor, and other family members, Carmen’s moth- er, Lorenza Villa, brother, Hector Tobar; Carmen and Victor’s son, Julio Cam- puzano; their daughters Paola, Judith and Marycar- men Campuzano; Judith’s husband, Abel Sosa; and Marycarmen’s 4-year-old son, Alan Martinez. On Jan. 3, they stopped at an inn in Delano, Calif., for the night. The theft, which oc- curred overnight while the family slept, was captured on the inn’s security cam- era footage. Police recov- ered the Tahoe, found aban- doned on the highway a few days later, and a plasma dis- play TV, but approximately $30,000 of items — in- cluding two mattresses, an exercise bicycle, three lap- tops, one dryer, two wash- ing machines, two micro- waves, an iPad, a clarinet, school books, Victor’s cus- tom-made carpentry tools and boxes of clothing — were not found. The fami- ly also lost about $4,000 in SUBMITTED PHOTO The North Coast Zumba Network is hosting a Zumba Dance Party fundraiser in August to benefit Carmen and Victor Campuzano (front row) and their family, who experienced a significant theft earlier this year. uncounted tips earned by Victor. Many of the items were gifts the Campuzanos collected to take to their family in Pátzcuaro. So far, Carmen and Vic- tor’s insurance company has not responded as to whether they will cover all or part of the loss, and Car- men said she does not feel they are close to an answer. The latest word from the Delano Police Department is the case is closed, but it is unclear whether a suspect was apprehended, Carmen said. Fortunately, relief has come to the Campuzanos through help from family, friends and colleagues. “I feel like Seaside and Cannon Beach, where I’ve been for more than 20 years, they really have lots of love in their hearts, and I thank God for that,” Carmen said. The community’s re- sponse to the event has shown her, she said, “how not all people are bad.” From a family dentist who dropped about $1,500 in charges Julio was incre- SUBMITTED PHOTO Rex Amos with Victor Campuzano. Amos presented Cam- puzano this low-mileage car on behalf of Dustin Fulwiler. The car had belonged to Cannon Beach’s Kandi Fulwiler, who died June 25. mentally paying off to a lo- cal lawyer who offered his assistance if needed, numer- ous people are looking out for the whole family, Car- men said. “It makes me feel so calm and so good to have people taking care of me,” she added. “I’ve been so blessed from everywhere.” Because some of the sto- len items had sentimental value, they are irreplace- able, but Carmen said they are thanking God they were physically unharmed. Gearhart resident Joy Sigler got the idea for the Zumba event after learn- ing about the family’s loss through an article published in the Signal in May. “I thought this would be a great time to give them a community hug,” she said. She wanted to show sup- port and sympathy and “try to make lemonade out of lemons.” Because Zumba has a high number of Hispanic participants, she said, she thought it would be an ap- propriate event to celebrate the Campuzanos’ culture. She started organizing the fundraiser, and other Zumba instructors joined to form the North Coast Zumba Net- work to help advertise and host it. This is the ¿rst time the network is collectively putting on an event. The dance seems ¿t- ting, Carmen said, because “when bad things happen, you’re supposed to have a good attitude and keep go- ing.” “I want to be there and it will be fun and nice to see everyone and feel the pow- er and energy from every- one there,” she said. For more information about the fundraiser, call Joy Sigler at 503-738- 6560 or visit the Campu- zano Family Bene¿t Zum- ba Dance Party Facebook page. Providence North Coast Clinic-Cannon Beach Exceptional care, close to home. At Providence Medical Group-Cannon Beach, we provide convenient, personal health care for our neighbors in Cannon Beach, Tolovana Park, Arch Cape, Manzanita, Wheeler and Nehalem. Close to home and play, our newly remodeled clinic offers primary care services for patients of all ages, in a comfortable, family setting. At Providence, it’s not just health care, it’s how we care. ® Now accepting new patients. 171 N. Larch St. Suite 16, Cannon Beach To schedule an appointment, please call 503-717-7556. Visit us at www.providence.org/northcoast. Julie Paquette, M.D. Family Medicine
