Crab feed aids Carlin Coppin

To give fourth and fifth grade students equal space to play at Carlin C. Coppin Elementary School, a fund-raising crab feed is being held Saturday in the McBean Park Pavilion.Coordinated by the school's Parent Teacher Club, crab, clam chowder, shrimp, salad, bread and coffee will be served. Beer, wine and soda will be available for purchase.Shawn King, head of publicity for the PTC, said the original deadline has passed, but because there are still about 140 tickets available and the PTC is trying to raise as much money as possible toward the needed $12,000 to purchase a new playground for the school, the deadline to reserve tickets has been extended to 7 p.m. tonight.An additional play structure is needed for the school because with the increase of new students, two portable classrooms were added to the campus for the school year of 2003-04, said school secretary Pam Soha. During the installation of the portables, the fourth and fifth grade swings were removed and blacktop was laid where they once stood. The swings were not relocated because they were too old.There are still two play structures for the lower grades of the kindergarten through fifth grade school, but only one for the upper grades. And the upper grades no have no swings."They need more," Soha said.The Parent Teacher Club decided to make its next big purchase for the school - a play structure to be located on the upper grade playground. All students will eventually be able to use the structure as they advance into those grades.King, mother of first-grader Bryan, 7, and third-grader Tyler, 9, likes the idea."Tyler will be a fourth-grader next year, and he'll be able to take advantage of it," she said.Principal John Bliss conducted a survey of third through fifth grade students in which different equipment was presented. They voted on their favorites. The school is awaiting a rendering of those items, which should arrive shortly."I am very thankful for the efforts of the PTC towards this project," Bliss said. "Without them we would not be able to even consider such a play structure. The students really deserve a nice area in which to 'burn off' some of their excess energy."The first of a hopefully annual Carlin C. Coppin Crab Feed begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. Saturday in the McBean Park Pavilion. Seating for dinner starts at 7 followed by dancing from 9 to midnight. Tickets cost $35 per person or $350 for 10 tickets and a reserved table.Attendees can also purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of about 40 raffle packages. One package is a Playstation 2 with an Eye Toy and memory card and two large pizzas from Papa Murphy's Pizza. Another is a cruise for two on the Spirit of Sacramento. There is also an automotive package and many restaurant and gift certificate packages.Call King at 645-2314 or Laura Harkcom at 645-0467 for tickets, to donate raffle prizes or to donate money to help the school offset the cost of the new play structure. "Come out and support Carlin C. Coppin," King said. "It's for a great cause and there will be a lot of food, fun and dancing."Joshua W. Bingham can be reached at joshuab@goldcountrymedia.com