5 Community Events Featuring Top Candidates from 2020 Elections

It has been an incredible week watching the record-breaking voter turn out rise across the country! In honor of Election Week, we are sharing 5 Community Events that we have photographed over the years featuring Top Candidates from this year’s 2020 Elections. We are grateful for the opportunity to meet and photograph our community’s Political Leaders!

2019 South Mountain High School Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Last year, South Mountain High School renovated their school to incorporate an Academies program preparing students for an array of career fields ranging from Aerospace Education to Visual Media. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego (pictured below) celebrated with the students and faculty during a ribbon cutting ceremony in Phoenix, Arizona for the grand opening of South Mountain’s new campus and program in the Fall of 2019.

We always love seeing Kate Gallego at all of the great events in our community, working to strengthen the City’s support of our neighborhoods and public schools.

Congratulations to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego on your reelection!

Learn more about what Kate is doing to improve the City of Phoenix at kategallego.com.

2017 Childhelp Drive the Dream Gala: A Journey to Oz

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone is on the board and served as the Vice President with Childhelp, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting abused children and their families. Paul and his wife Veronica Penzone are pictured below at the 2017 Childhelp Drive the Dream Gala: A Journey to Oz. The 13th annual event celebrated the children and families Childhelp serves with proceeds benefitting Childhelp programs focusing on children’s needs.

Congratulations to Paul Penzone on your reelection to serve another term as our Sheriff!

Both Paul and his wife Veronica support organizations dedicated to child safety. Learn how Sheriff Paul Penzone is working to better Maricopa County at penzoneforsheriff.com.

2016 Arizona Foundation for Women Awards Luncheon

Greg Stanton attended the Arizona Foundation for Women’s 20th Anniversary Awards Luncheon, supporting the Foundation’s programming and sustainability to achieve their mission of creating a better life for Arizona’s women and children. Representative Greg Stanton is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and he also serves on the Aviation and Highways and Transit subcommittees.

Congratulations to Greg Stanton on your reelection to serve another term as U.S. Representative for Arizona!

Learn more about how Greg Stanton is serving Arizona families at stanton.house.gov.

2015 Girl Scouts Camp Sombrero Groundbreaking

Congressman Ruben Gallego and his wife Kate Gallego (pictured below) celebrated the 103rd Birthday of Girl Scouts in 2015 during the Phase One Groundbreaking Ceremony at the Girl Scouts Leadership Center for Girls and Women at Camp Sombrero in Phoenix, Arizona. Congressman Ruben Gallego currently serves on The House Armed Services Committee and The Committee on Natural Resources.

Congratulations to Ruben Gallego on your reelection to serve another term as U.S. Representative for Arizona!

Learn more about Congressman Ruben Gallego and the work he is doing at rubengallego.house.gov.

2014 Caring Awards

The Caring Institute recognized Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her husband, Astronaut Captain Mark Kelly for leading the fight against cancer and for responsible gun laws at the 2014 Caring Awards Ceremony which took place at the Omni Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords (pictured below) launched Americans for Responsible Solutions to encourage the prevention of gun violence and ensure responsible gun ownership.

Congratulations to Captain Mark Kelly on being elected to serve as the next United States Senator for Arizona!

Learn more about how Mark Kelly is working to provide stronger leadership for Arizonans at markelly.com.

How Desert Botanical Garden Created a Safe and Interactive Halloween Experience!

While typical Halloween festivities may be a little different than what we are used to this year, there are still tons of safe and creative ways to celebrate with family and friends! Outdoor community events are perfect for having fun while staying safe and there are so many amazing venues here in Arizona promoting safe and socially distant halloween celebrations.

Desert Botanical Garden hosted an exclusive interactive Halloween experience — Boo-tanical Nights — on Friday October 23rd and Saturday October 24th for Garden Members and their families with activities, live music, and more all while practicing social distancing!

Guests enjoyed live music from DJ Dana Armstrong in the spooky Sunset Plaza, along with musical mixes from other local DJs, while ordering festive food and drinks from various food trucks.

All children received a complimentary pumpkin they hand-picked from the Garden’s pumpkin patch, which was beautifully decorated in the Ottosen Entry Garden. (Check out the event photos for some awesome Halloween decor ideas!)

Presentations from the Mad Botanist and Buggy Entomologist were a fan favorite and other activities included photo booths, flashlight tours and shadow puppet shows!

One of the biggest hits of the night was of course, the costume contest, where winners were awarded fun prizes! Some favorite costumes included Spider-Man, Jack Skellington, Wonder-Woman, and Rapunzel from Tangled!

Guests were guided with physical distancing queues, hand-sanitizing stations, and health and safety signage located throughout the trails and venues. All guests were required to wear face coverings and follow the health and safety precautions set in place.

Physical distancing queues were arranged for food trucks, guest tables and for all activities including the pumpkin patch. Food truck safety and hygiene measures were in place along with safety partitions throughout.

Families and friends had a blast while staying safe and socially distant! 

Some other safe and socially distant community Halloween celebrations to attend include:

Are you looking to host a successful, socially distant Halloween event with entertainment your guests will love?

Try hosting a virtual Halloween costume contest or plan a Halloween drive-in movie night. Now is the time to embrace and create new traditions!

Be sure to follow us for more great events photos, videos and tips!