West Coast Kustoms "Penny"  given the "Mayors Award" by the Mayor Larry Lavagnino of Santa Maria.

Every year at the annual Tourism Luncheon, the Visitor and Convention Bureau of Santa Maria, CA  bestows the Mayor's Award  upon an event planner who has been instrumental in bringing in groups to the Santa Maria Valley.  This year,  the 2012 Mayor’s Award went to Rich and Penny Pichette, of West Coast Kustoms. 

The Pichettes, of West Coast Kustoms, have brought the West Coast Kustoms Cruisin’ Nationals to Santa Maria every Memorial Day Weekend for the last several years. The event brings in more visitors than any other held throughout the year — some from as far away as Japan and the Netherlands, according to the chamber.

Penny’s husband, Rich, passed away with Alzheimer’s disease, and his dream became Penny’s. Penny states “I know this day is supposed to be about me, but when you have been married for 49 years, you become a ‘we’ not a ‘me’, and have the same goals and dreams.”

Congratulations Penny!