From cutups for kids, to Macayo memories

ST. BALDRICK’S AT DAWSON SCHOOL: Alexander Dawson School annually proves it’s focused on helping kids with cancer through its own St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraisers. Now local Justice of the Peace Melanie Andress-Tobiasson is throwing her hat, or perhaps hair, into the ring for a good cause.

She writes, "My son, Luke Tobiasson, is in the fifth grade at Alexander Dawson. They are doing a school wide fundraiser to benefit St. Baldrick's. The shaving event will be held on the afternoon of March 15th. His fundraising goal was $1,000.00 and he has far exceeded his goal. However, the agreement was that if he raised $10,000, I would also shave my head. So far, we have only made it to $3,260.00. I know this is a long shot, but I thought perhaps if I sent this email and link to you, you might write a little blurb between now and next Thursday and we could reach our family goal of $10,000 and perhaps Dawson could reach their school wide goal of $100,000."

For more information, go to stbaldricks.org.

KLIP IT: Call it the latest buzz to hit Las Vegas. It’s Klip It For Kidz, the annual head-shaving fundraiser to benefit the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation’s more than 40 service programs. The event is set for 10 a.m. April 14, at Town Square. For more information, go to Nvccf.org.

MACAYO MEMORIES: Former Las Vegan Joanna Davenport of Haymarket, Va., received a copy of a recent column I wrote about the wonders to be had as a high schooler at Macayo Vegas.

She sent me a few of her own memories in this letter:

"I grew up in Las Vegas, and lived there until I left for college and to get my commission in the military. My family lives there still. My mother sent me an article of yours that was published around Valentine's Day. The title was Viva Macayo Vegas and Great High School Memories. She sent it because, like you, I was one of those Macayo Vegas-ites addicted to TCTs.

"I think I might be a few years behind you. I was a Bonanza Bengal...class of 1989. My sister was part of the first graduating class of Bonanza in the late 1970s. I suspect you are somewhere in between. Even though I might be a few years behind you, my memories are much the same...although we never did the dine and dash! It was one of the few close restaurants to our home when we originally moved to Las Vegas in 1977. We lived at Rainbow and Westcliffe near Garside Junior High in a house that NDOT demolished about 10 years ago to widen the highway. As a family, we went there weekly. And, later in high school, our basketball team would go there after a girl named Donna Gentry and her team, the Western Warriors, would beat us really badly. We pretty much got beat everytime we played, and would end up there afterwards.  I remember going on one of my first dates there...sharing a TCT...and smooching out in the parking lot.  I even remember my mother trying to replicate the TCT, and even though she tried hard, never really getting it the same.

"Even after I left Las Vegas, and traveled around the world...a couple of times, when you would think my palette would have matured beyond it, I would always grab a TCT when I would come home for a visit. I can remember flying all night in from Thailand and my first stop being at Macayo Vegas.

Another time, I flew in from Australia and was craving one so badly, I called ahead to the location on Paradise (not Tropicana, which replaced the location on Paradise) and persuaded the waitress to stay open an extra ten minutes so they could make one up for me. And, they did!

"So, I had to laugh when I saw your article and thought about old times. Thank you for writing it.  It made me laugh. I thought you would appreciate knowing that even those of us who have grown up and moved away still remember."