SPRITES’ bright benefit

Before Alpine resident Re­becca Carrizosa’s daughter, Mackenna, became involved in Sprites, a mother-daughter philanthropic group, Carrizosa­ worked on a Sprites’ gala that was held at Viejas Casino & Re­sort.

“I do events for Viejas Casino & Resort. The Sprites held their gala there,” she said. That ex­posure eventually led her and her daughter, Mackenna, now a 9th grader at Granite Hills, to become a Sprite.

The Sprites of East County are holding this year’s gala, Spritesfest, on April 6 at the Mission Bay Hyatt.

The Spritesfest gala offers dinner, entertainment, a live and silent auction, and a chance for family, friends, and the general public the opportunity to raise money for a variety of non-prof­its.

The Sprites, founded in 1963, are a mother and daughter phil­anthropic organization who vol­unteer in their community, hold fundraisers for a variety of phil­anthropic groups such as Meals on Wheels, and offer continuous bonding experiences for the mothers with their daughters according to their website.

SPRITES is an acronym that stands for: spiritual, phil­anthropic, recreational, inspirational, training, educational, and social.

“We volunteer about 1,000 hours a year and raise about $50,000 a year,” said Adrianne Bodenstadt, vice-president of communications for the group. Currently there are 200 active Sprites according to Bodenstadt. Sprites are for girls grades 7 – 12.

“I had always gone to their fundraising events and knew if I had a daughter she would be in­volved in Sprites,” said another Alpine resident, Renee Brown. Brown’s daughter, Sophia,16, and a sophomore at Valhalla High School, is now a Sprite.

“They (the galas) are always very well put together, “said Brown. “The best part is raising money for the philanthropies.” Groups who have benefited from their fundraising include Rachel’s House, Noah Homes, the El Cajon library, and Part­ners Therapeutic Horseman­ship to name a few.

“Each grade level performs,” said Brown. “My daughter has the 70’s. They will dress the part.” Each grade is given a theme.

Tickets for the April gala, $75 per ticket, can be purchased at www.spritesofeastcounty.com.