This Saturday is the  8th annual Britanny Wilkinson United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) Fundraising Dinner. (KMPH FOX 26 Great Day's Kim Stephens is the night's MC.)

All are invited to this evening at Break the Barriers at 6pm. Tickets are $25 each. There is always an amazing raffle, beautiful silent auction, delicious dinner and special program learning about Brittany and the disease she lived with - a disease few still know about but 1 in every 200 people has a genetic mutation that may lead to mitochondrial disease. 

Mitochondria are in all our bodies, in our cells giving us energy. For those living with mitochondrial disease, which is genetic, that mitochondria doesn’t work right affecting the body in very painful ways.

Clovis East graduate, Brittany Wilkinson lived with this all her 18 years. Amidst her migraines and other debilitating pain, she gracefully raised awareness and funds for others living with this disease.

Clovis City Manager Rob Woolley has announced the appointment of Deputy Fire Chief Micheal Despain as Fire Chief following the pending retirement of current Fire Chief Lee Kraft.  After 32 years of service, Fire Chief Lee Kraft has announced his retirement effective February 28, 2013.  During his 32 years, Chief Kraft served in every rank with 10 of those years spent as a member of the management team.  Reflecting back on his years of service, Chief Kraft said, “The Fire Chief for the City of Clovis is an enviable position. The Fire Chief is the leader of a group of people who are dedicated and focused on providing the highest quality service to our community.  In addition, the Clovis Fire Department is part of an integrated City organization where all City employees work together for the common good and the Fire Chief works as a servant, allowing the organization to meet community and other department needs.”