“For 18 years now, the Leavitts have helped make the Fair what it is – a fun, exciting, family-oriented destination,” said Don DesCombes, Association board director and Fairplex Education Foundation chairman. The Premiere Party benefits the Education Foundation. We are pleased to recognize their efforts and dedication.”

With their commitment to quality entertainment, setting standards for others in the fair industry to follow and their consistently professional management, the Leavitts have significantly impacted the way the fair industry operates.

"When I think of RCS, quality, safety and innovation are the words which first come to mind. These are the guiding principles by which Guy and Charlene run their business,” said Dale Coleman, vice president of sales, marketing and creative programming for Fairplex. “We are proud to have them as partners here at the L.A. County Fair.”

The Leavitts said this honor is particularly special, coming from the Fair.

“L.A. gave us our first contract in California,” said Charlene. “We love this fair because of that. If not for L.A., we would have had a different destiny.”

A different destiny geographically maybe. But their fate was definitely in the amusement business. And for both Guy and Charlene, it all really did begin with a merry-go-round. Charlene’s parents, Ray and Veryl Cammack, owned their own carnival business as did Guy’s parents, Harley and Rita Leavitt. Both of the businesses were started with a merry-go-round.

“My dad built his in the garage,” said Charlene.

Both families did well with their small but productive carnivals. Guy and Charlene worked with their families, with no pressure from their parents who also encouraged the pair to continue their higher education.

“Both of our parents wanted us to get an education and pursue our own interests,” said Charlene.

Guy went on to study aeronautical engineering, working the carnival during the summer months. Charlene studied medical technology.

“It wasn’t until Guy and I met that we decided to remain in the amusement business,” she said.

The couple met in 1975, when Guy, who knew he couldn’t move up in his father’s small carnival, interviewed with the growing Ray Cammack Shows to increase his financial picture for college.

"Ray said he needed someone to run his kiddieland, so I became a partner,” Guy recalled.

Charlene and Guy married in 1977.

“And the rest is history,” Guy laughed.

But the decision to manage the business came after tragedy struck both the Cammack and
Leavitt families.

“I never intended on owning a carnival,” said Charlene. “I knew it was a lot of hard work and responsibility.”

But when her father died in 1983, the couple assumed management of Ray Cammack Shows. They eventually purchased the business from Charlene’s mother in 1985 and expanded the carnival’s circuit, which was largely in Arizona, the Midwest and Canada, to include California – the L.A. County Fair.

“My dad’s desire was for the family to continue with the carnival, so I felt a sense of obligation,” Charlene said about taking ownership of RCS.

The business grew when Charlene and Guy purchased Guy’s parents’ Great Western Carnival, which his parents had purchased after a brief retirement, soon after Harley Leavitt’s death in 1985. The RCS of today is a combination of Great Western Carnival and Ray Cammack Shows, with both Cammacks and Leavitts involved in the operation.

Since taking ownership of the two companies, the Leavitts have instituted a number of programs that have helped make RCS the top amusement business in the country. In 1985 they started a Midway Beautification Program, creating a unique color-coordinated park-like atmosphere to the midway. They also implemented an aggressive employee drug testing program.

“Our family works here. We want the environment to be just like the one we want to live in,” said Charlene.

Perhaps the standout achievement of Guy and Charlene’s ability to run a successful business is the fact that they’ve been able to raise six children while doing so. Family takes a high priority in their life, as evidenced by the number of siblings, cousins and offspring working for the company.

"This business is a lot like ranching – our family is always together,” said Guy.

While the carnival season had the family home for most of the school year, Charlene did have a few weeks when she had to go back and forth from work to home in Arizona. Many of the mothers who work for RCS still do so. The Leavitts did open a day care program for employees about eight years ago, inspired by Fairplex’s own Child Development Center. The company also offers a college scholarship program.

The Leavitts said they are grateful for the partnership with the L.A. County Fair and will always remember the opportunity retired association chairman James Kostoff and the late resident Ralph Hinds gave them when signing them up in 1985.

“They listened to us and put a lot of trust in what we promised,” said Guy.

He said he will always remember a comment from Kostoff.

“He told me that he and his wife never took their kids to the carnival when they were children because he didn’t feel comfortable. But after seeing ours, he would now be bringing his grandchildren.”

The Premiere Party is a fundraiser first-look at the 2003 L.A. County Fair. Tickets are $100 each. Proceeds will go to the Fairplex Education Foundation. There are also a number of host opportunities for individuals, organizations or companies. The Asian-themed affair will be held in the Flower and Garden Pavilion, which this year is decorated in “Influences of the Orient.” Guests will be treated to a gourmet delight of drinks and food presented by Panda Inn restaurants.

For information on the Premiere Party, call the Fairplex Foundations department at (909) 865-4205 or visit the Fairplex Web site at www.lacountyfair.com.