56 OCTOBER 2018 By Mallory Gleich The weather might be a little warm for the fall season, but that won’t stop Arcadia residents from heading to the Shemer Art Center for 2018’s GAIN picnic event. This year marks the 20th anniversary for the GAIN picnic and promises to be as entertaining and educational as ever. In 1998, representatives from all around Arizona gathered and came up with a plan to make communities safer and more involved. Since then, Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods (GAIN) has grown from a few folks gathering to a full- blown neighborhood get-together. “When we first started doing the Arcadia BBQ Picnic late last century, it was very small and modest,” said Craig Steblay, President of the Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association (ACMNA). “It started as social afternoon for the ACMNA Board along with a few neighbors. One small Weber charcoal BBQ handled the cooking and everything was pot luck. We enjoyed getting to know each other outside of meetings and we all shared a huge bond — our love of Arcadia.” October is also Crime Prevention month, which may have had something to do with how GAIN was started. “In 1984, the ‘Take a Bite out of Crime’ campaign started as a way to get businesses and schools involved with crime prevention. The campaign may have been the roots of the GAIN event,” said Brian Flader, who has been the event chairman for two years. Families and friends from all around Arcadia are invited to come out and enjoy burgers, hot dogs and snacks and mingle with city officials, police and fire first responders. It’s a way to meet and greet the people who keep the community safe. “As years passed the event grew and we eventually combined with the Phoenix Police Department GAIN events. Bigger was better and so was the fun. Last year, 2017, we had nearly 400 neighbors, guests and first responders,” Steblay said. The GAIN picnic is also a great way to get involved in current happenings of the neighborhood as well as voicing opinions face-to-face with city officials, such as Anthony Vasquez, the commander of the Squaw Peak Precinct, and Sal DiCiccio (who will also be in charge of the burgers this year!). “This event is an opportunity for residents to come out and meet the people patrolling their streets — to also meet their neighbors and get connected to everyone,” Flader said. This year’s event will have demonstrations from first responders, bounce houses and balloon animals for the kids, Chick-Fil-A will be handing out chicken sandwiches, and the main event: live music from The Dusty Tuffet Americana String Band who will be helping to celebrate 20 years! “The most important part of the GAIN event is the connection between neighbors in Arcadia,” Flader said. “There’s no agenda other than getting our community together.” “I think the biggest reason this event is so successful is that we’re sincere about our neighborhood and it has allowed us to effectively showcase the importance of first responder partnerships among families, neighbors and community,” Steblay said. This year’s event will be held on Oct.13 from 2 – 5 p.m. For more: acmna.org. GAIN Picnic celebrates 20th anniversary The GAIN Picnic started out as a small gathering with one little grill to feed everyone. The event grew over the years and now attracts hundreds of participants. Baird does not offer tax or legal advice. ©2018 Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated. Member SIPC. MC-224125. When talent, guidance and execution come together, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish. Imagine the power of you and Baird. updated: 10/09/2017 Kirk Diller Senior Vice President Financial Advisor 14648 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 175 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 480-624-2303 . 877-792-7594 kdiller@rwbaird.com Imagine The Power of Teamwork

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