BARN RAISING: DANCE GENERATES FUNDS FOR LARC RANCH DONATIONS HELP SOOTHE STATE BUDGET CUTS FOR VALUED RESIDENTIAL FACILITY.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

SAUGUS - The barn was a white tent erected near the bandstand, and the dancing was enthusiastic on a crisp November Sunday - the perfect setting for the first barn dance cookout benefiting the Los Angeles Retarded Citizens Ranch in Bouquet Canyon.

More than 100 residents and their families gathered to enjoy burgers, ribs and hot dogs and listen to the music of the Vince Morales Band.

Organizer Renee Holland, president of the Friends of LARC Ranch, was pleased with the turnout and the level of support received from the community. Her daughter, Rachelle Gindi, an LARC resident for 30 years, sat at a picnic table nearby.

``It was a dream of mine to reach out to our supporters and offer them Walk of Fame benches and marble bricks to honor their loved ones,'' she said, leafing through a tribute program that listed names of individuals and companies that purchased the $5,000 benches and $1,000 bricks. Sixteen benches will soon be added to the common areas of the ranch and 85 dedicated bricks will soon form a tribute walk on the grounds.

Invitations to the event were accompanied by a DVD or video created by Always Hope Productions and narrated by actor Howie Mandel, highlighting the programs and opportunities offered by the ranch entering its 45th year of operation.

Recent state budget cuts and economic challenges have left LARC with a shortfall of $250,000, which Holland said was nearly met by donations to Sunday's fund raiser.

``This is a great opportunity to get families and residents together just to have fun,'' said Steve Bratzel, LARC's activities director. ``We have had fund raisers at alternate locations, but they don't always get to see their families. The residents have been really looking forward to this.''

LARC Ranch has expanded significantly since its inception, when parents of the functionally challenged wanted more than an institution for their children.

``When we started, a facility like this was unheard of,'' said Kathleen Sturkey, LARC executive director. ``In the late '50s and '60s, if children were diagnosed as retarded, doctors told parents to put them in institutions. LARC Ranch was established on a 65-acre parcel by a group of people with a futuristic vision. This was before the Lanterman Act that established civil rights for the disabled was in effect; the people that founded LARC were very forward-thinking.''

Sturkey said that providing supportive, mainstream activities in a nurturing atmosphere was one of the goals of the founders and has made LARC grow with its population.

``This is the largest facility serving residential and day programs in the county. It is a state-of-the-art community with a Valencia feel,'' she said, referring to the 13 modern housing units, each housing eight residents and a live-in caretaker, surrounding the central activities hall.

Each housing unit features a central living room, dining room and kitchen, surrounded by bedrooms decorated in various individual tastes. Proudly displayed in one living room was a framed picture of actor Tim Allen, autographed to the residents of that bungalow; baby dolls and baskets of houseplants and silk flowers in the dining room and recipes under magnets on the refrigerator removed any thought that this house was different than one in any Santa Clarita neighborhood.

Facilities at LARC include an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and athletic fields, as well as the residences that were dedicated in 2001.

Valencia High students recently raised money to buy a second basketball hoop and grant funding has been used to install new flooring in the gym. A large number of LARC residents also participate in the Special Olympics, including sports such as bocce ball and swimming.

Sturkey also noted that the public's perception of LARC has changed as well as its name, which was originally Los Angeles Retarded Children's Foundation.

``Our population is aging,'' she added. ``None of them are children anymore. We have two licenses, one for ages 18 through 59 and one for age 60 and up. Some of them have lived here their whole lives. Our programs fulfill their educational and socialization needs, as well as meeting their health and special dietary needs.''

Funds raised will help the ranch expand a park area where an old residential hall, damaged in the 1994 earthquake, used to stand, as well as establish a second HUD home in a residential area of Santa Clarita, much like the Apple Street facility in Newhall.

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Sunday's barn dance and cookout at the Los Angeles Retarded Citizens Ranch in Bouquet Canyon raised needed funds.

(2) The Vince Morales Band helped those in a festive mood cut a rug, entertaining families, residents and donors alike.

(3) More than 100 residents and their families enjoyed hot dogs, burgers and ribs at the event. Invitations were accompanied by a DVD or video highlighting the ranch.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News