Chosen as this year’s Senior Mr. and Mrs. Escalon, longtime local residents and community volunteers Lee and Sandy Rigg will be feted at a special luncheon in their honor on Tuesday, July 8.

The Senior Mr. and Mrs. Escalon gathering is the ‘kick off’ of festivities for Park Fete Week, and will be hosted at the Escalon Community Center at noon on Tuesday. Lunch tickets are $20 per person, payable at the door, but please contact luncheon coordinator Sheila Arellano at 838-7408 by Monday, July 7 to confirm attendance.

Married 57 years this past January, Lee and Sandy Rigg raised three children in Escalon and are active in their community.

“I was born in Modesto, lived in Escalon my entire life,” explained Sandy. “My parents both graduated from Escalon High School.”

Lee was born in Los Angeles and moved to Farmington when he was 12, and both are EHS alum as well.

“Lee was with the Class of 1957 and I graduated in 1958,” Sandy explained. “We were high school sweethearts, he was on the football team and I was a cheerleader.”

The couple has lived in Escalon their entire married life, and their children are Keith Rigg, Kathie McBroom and Rob Rigg. Their sons live in Escalon, daughter Kathie is in nearby Ripon. They also have eight grandchildren, with one great-granddaughter and another due in July.

“Through the years, I was involved in PTA, when the kids were at Dent, I did a lot of volunteer work,” Sandy said. “I was at one point PTA president, then I went to work at Bank of the West and worked there for 25 years.”

Also a member of the Escalon Sunrise Rotary Club, Sandy is also involved with Meals on Wheels and running the Senior Meal Site.

Lee initially worked at Hogan Manufacturing, then owned a restaurant in Manteca for many years before going into a pool maintenance business. Now, still working fulltime, he is a courier at American Chevrolet in Modesto. He also can be found at every Friday night home football game, manning the barbecue with his sons, and often serves as master griller at community events.

The couple is involved with Escalon Covenant Church and have served on the leadership team, with Sandy teaching Sunday School and working with children’s church over the years.

Even with all that involvement, Sandy said she and her husband were still taken by surprise when they were contacted about being honored this year.

“We were shocked, actually, we never would have ever expected this at all,” Sandy admitted. “We consider it an honor to have this recognition.”

The luncheon on Tuesday helps start off a week full of events, culminating with the two-day Park Fete celebration on Friday and Saturday, with the Saturday morning run and parade, local vendor and food booths, the popular bull riding event on Saturday afternoon, music both Friday and Saturday, rides and games for the kids, and more. The Escalon Lions Club is the sponsor and organizer of the celebration, with additional businesses also contributing. Look for special Park Fete pages in the July 9 issue, covering all the events to be offered.

Friends, family and community leaders will be in attendance at the Senior Mr. and Mrs. Escalon luncheon to honor the Riggs on Tuesday.

“We have always considered it a privilege to live here and raise our kids here,” Sandy said