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Bricks selling like hotcakes
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The city's Commemorative Brick Fundraiser campaign hit a milestone last week with $10,400 in engraved bricks sold.

A total of 66 bricks have been sold, said Doug Lemcke, director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Ceres. If all 345 bricks are sold, the city will net $35,647.

The bricks are being sold to help raise funds needed to purchase replacement equipment and furnishings for the facility after it opens next spring.

"There's going to be a lot of things that we're going to want in the near future," said Lemcke. "So this money will go toward purchasing those items. There might be a new class, like a class that requires pilate balls, that we'd purchase for special classes. It could be computer classes that we need programs for."

The bricks will be set into a courtyard at the western entrance of the center.

The city is offering bricks in three different sizes and prices, $100, $200 and $500. The largest brick is mostly being bought by corporations and organizations. Eight large bricks have been purchased by Save Mart, Ceres Drugs, Labor Union 1130 and the Smyrna #532 Masonic Lodge. The Ceres Garden Club and Ceres Lions Club have committed to buying a large brick. J.L. Bray & Sons, the contractor building the Ceres Community Center, purchased two $500 bricks.

Kathy Stevenson purchased a $500 brick to memorialize her late husband, Sgt. Howard Stevenson. The brick will feature the SWAT team logo and his badge number. Stevenson was killed in the line of duty on Jan. 8, 2005.

Lemcke said that the 8" x 8" brick at $200 has been popular among those who wish to engrave multiple names. The brick provides room for five lines. A line consists of up to 20 spaces if a mixture of upper and lower cases or 17 characters if all are to be capitalized.

Individuals and families may buy an engraved 4" by 8" brick for $100. There is enough room for three lines.

The brick sales are being promoted in an upcoming utility billing. More information on the brick program is available by calling 538-5628.