Throw an Epic Party and Whack a F*** ICE Piñata

Living in the Inland Empire in California is pretty special – you are close enough to go to Disneyland on the weekend or drive to Los Angeles for a concert but far enough where you feel like you are in the middle of a flyover state. The I.E. is not a blue stronghold like so many other areas in California, so voting is important here. We had our primary on June 2 and watching the returns come in for our counties (San Bernardino and Riverside), you realize how much harder we need to fight to make sure we get progressive candidates to win.

Voter apathy is our biggest enemy. While canvassing in our lower income areas, I heard people tell me “I don’t vote, both sides are the same, and it doesn’t make a difference either way.” This couldn’t be further from the truth in our area. In our local race for San Bernardino County Supervisor, we had two candidates who couldn’t be further apart: Christina Gagnier is a progressive Democrat who wants to invest in eco-friendly good-paying jobs and stop the expansion of more warehouses, protect our public lands, and fight against ICE presence here in the I.E. Her opponent was Curt Hagman (incumbent), who is a MAGA darling and endorsed far-right Chino Valley School Board President Sonja Shaw and wannabe cowboy-mustache-man Chad Bianco for governor. He is pro-ICE and pro-Trump and does not fit the ideal candidate to fight for the middle class in our area. Unfortunately, Hagman won by more than 7,000 votes.

In a district with more than 250,000 registered voters, about 33% voted and that’s considered an “amazing turnout.” Hagman outspent Gagnier by nearly 3 to 1. After this race was called, all I could do was feel defeated. All of our hard work seemed to be for nothing. Then one of our amazing Cat Ladies of America IE members, Gilda, wanted to plan an event … not just any ol’ event, but a fun, uplifting, doing something GOOD for the community type EVENT. She had gone to an event at a PIÑATA studio and was blown away with the space and said the Cat Ladies have to plan something there.

With our thinking caps on, Gilda, Amber (co-captain of CLFA IE), and I (the other co-captain), decided this was the perfect time for a non-candidate-specific event to get the community together and do something for a good cause. We decided on a theme: “80s Cat Lady Game Night!” The event would consist of a giant game of Loteria (Mexican Bingo) where we would collect money for a great cause. Since we are the Cat Ladies, we decided half the proceeds would go to an amazing local rescue in Upland, CA, called Cats and Comics Rescue. The other half of the donations would go to an incredible group that helps unhoused kiddos and adults in Riverside County called Family Promise Riverside.

Once we got going, Gilda and IEAAH (Inland Empire Atheists, Agnostics & Humanists) started buying all sorts of items for a GIANT RAFFLE (again, all proceeds going to the two organizations). We had eight magnificent themed baskets – including Cat, Dog, Beauty, Beach, and Game Night. We needed an MC and entertainment, so we contacted Andrew Saxena and Ian McBride, who I nicknamed The Litter Box Boys. They did not disappoint with MC duties and hilarious cat-themed comedy skits. They also brought on board two amazing artists. We had Shayne, who provided an amazing interactive visual piece, and Nyx Alexandra, who did live cat portraits throughout the event.

It wouldn’t be a Cat Lady event without REAL LIFE CATS. Cats and Comics Rescue brought some KITTENS for us to play with and enjoy throughout the event. They are all adoptable!

And last but not least, since we were going to be at Piñata Design Studio, we had to get a “F* ICE” Piñata. Yes, you read that right. A giant ICE CUBE suspended in the air throughout the night filled with cat toys, party favors and candy! Indivisible Inland Empire was able to provide us with the funds for this amazing piñata. We all had a turn taking a whack, and it was euphoric to say the least. We had one person tell us it was a metaphor – we each need to work together to take a hit at this administration and when we work together, we can smash it and make something good happen from it all!

The event was an amazing success, and we raised $2,200 ($1100 for each organization)! The moral of the story is when you are feeling down, low, and like your voice doesn’t matter, put that energy into something positive, attend an event for a cause you support, and visit something that brings you joy – and if all else fails, HIT A PIÑATA!