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CARLSBAD: Discounted Legoland tickets bring money for schools

By Stacy Brandt

4/5/2010

A nonprofit group in Carlsbad is selling discounted tickets to Legoland California, good only on May 1, as part of a push to raise as much as $120,000 for local schools.

The Carlsbad Education Foundation is selling $15 tickets to the theme park as part of its annual Celebrate Carlsbad fundraiser. Legoland tickets typically cost $67 for adults and $57 for kids.

Money raised through the event will go to augment programs at Carlsbad Unified School District campuses, said Valin Brown, chief executive officer of the foundation. Most of it will go to pay for music classes at the district's nine elementary schools.

"The fact that they're directly supporting education at the same time makes it a huge win-win, both for the community and the schools," Brown said.

The tickets will be good only for the Celebrate Carlsbad event, which will run from 1 to 9 p.m. May 1.

The event will feature fireworks and performances from students on the park's Fun Town Stage from 3 to 6 p.m.

Selling discounted tickets could be especially appreciated this year, Brown said, as some people may not be able to afford the full price to visit the park because of weak economic conditions.

"It's truly a wonderful opportunity," he said. "It's a good thing all around, especially with times being so tough."

For the Carlsbad amusement park, the event offers a chance to help raise money for local schools, General Manager Peter Ronchetti said in a news release.

"At Legoland California, we believe strongly in the value of education," he said.

The foundation started the Celebrate Carlsbad event in 2008 by merging the Kids Are Worth A Million telethon with the community day fundraiser. This year, there will be no telethon, but the students' performances will still be filmed and shown on local public access television.

The education foundation was formed in 1983 to raise money for educational and enrichment programs for the nearly 11,000 students in the Carlsbad Unified School District. Since then, the foundation has raised more than $4 million for local campuses.

Discounted tickets will not be available at the park. They must be purchased in advance.

Tickets for the Legoland event can be purchased in advance at any Carlsbad Unified campus, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, Carlsbad Visitors and Convention Bureau, San Diego National Bank, Lola's 7-Up Market and Deli, Facelogic Spa, Boys & Girls Clubs in Oceanside, Carlsbad and San Marcos, and the Carlsbad Education Foundations office at 5651 Palmer Way, Suite H.

Learn more at www.carlsbaded.org or call 760-929-1555.

Call staff writer Stacy Brandt at 760-901-4009.

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