Supervisor Perez Recognizes Firebirds’ Magical Season and Congratulates Hershey Bears on Calder Cup Championship
June 23, 2023
PALM DESERT – Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez today has issued a Fourth District Riverside County proclamation honoring the Coachella Valley Firebirds on the incredible season they just had and praising what the team accomplished in only their first year.
Additionally, he is making good on his friendly challenge with Hershey PA representatives by issuing another proclamation declaring today, June 23, as Hershey Bears Day.
During the seven-game American Hockey League championship between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Hershey Bears, Supervisor Perez and Dauphin County Commissioners Mike Pries, Chad Saylor and George P. Hartwick III established a friendly wager involving locally crafted products and proclamations.
Hershey will be sent Coachella Valley-grown dates and grapes highlighting our region’s agriculture. While dates can be enjoyed on their own, Supervisor Perez encourages Coachella Valley growers, restaurants and community members to take up Dauphin County on their solicitation of date recipes so our friends have additional ways to savor them. Those with date recipe suggestions can submit them through the contact Web page at dauphincounty.gov.
“As the saying goes, you win some and you lose some and unfortunately for us CV Firebirds fans, we lost and it hurts,” said Supervisor Perez. “But allow me the time to recognize the Dauphin County Commissioners for being great sports and for making this series even more exciting. I just wanted to ensure folks that we take it in the chin and we acknowledge it. I congratulate the teams and their fan base. You all made it all worthwhile.”
The Pennsylvania-based officials look forward to receiving Coachella Valley-grown grapes and dates and appreciate that “Hershey Bears Day” has been declared in the Southern California community.
“We’re soliciting recipes for how best we can prepare and enjoy 22 pounds of dates, which I suspect pair especially well with Hershey’s chocolate,” Pries said.
“The Hershey Bears’ accomplishments in recent weeks have been a source of great pride in this office and throughout Dauphin County,” Saylor said. “I’m excited to see the cup when it is brought home.”
“Supervisor Perez has been a good sport throughout the championships play. I always suspected the Bears would come out on top, and those suspicions were proven right after some tense, nail‑biting moments in the final game,” Hartwick said.
###
Supervisor V. Manuel Perez represents the Fourth Supervisorial District on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. The largest district in the county by geography, the 4th District covers eastern Riverside County, from Whitewater, stretching across the entire Coachella Valley south to the Salton Sea, up Highway 74 to Idyllwild and the mountain communities, and heading east of the Coachella Valley to Blythe and the Colorado River.
Supervisor Perez’s office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
