Blog Updates

The beautiful hills of Marin County were the setting for this 6-mile hike for Zero Breast Cancer[September 26, 2015]. Meghan Peddicord (Team Captain), Jaime Farrar, Cheryl Geoffrion, Melissa Hereford and Francisco Ramirez (the “Rack Pack”) raised $4,766 in funds for Zero Breast Cancer, taking 2nd place with 38 teams competing. [Photo of CVI Team on top of Mt. Tamalpais: Left to right- Cheryl, Meghan, Melissa, Jaime and Francisco]

ZBC is a community based, not-for-profit dedicated to finding the causes of breast cancer through community participation in the scientific research process. They focus on identifying environmental factors and the role they play in breast cancer at all stages of life and across generations.

This year, Zero Breast Cancer is raising funds to establish a wellness and leadership program for high school teens with the hope of inspiring and encouraging them to enter the field of cancer research. (encouraging the next generation of potential scientists, public health professionals, health educators, doctors, nurses and community advocates) Cool stuff. Plus, the team experience could not be beat, on this hike. Francisco said, “Each step on this hike was a step closer with the team.” Melissa noted, “17,758 steps toward inspiring young people to enter the research field for the cure of breast cancer.” Jaime said, “I also think it was kind of symbolic to start off the hike with an uphill battle of 676 stairs to climb given the cause.

There was a lot of great energy at this hike, a lot of encouragement along the way and good spirits. We had a great time and can’t wait to do it again next year!” And Cheryl pretty much summed it up when she said, “It was so fun to walk and talk every mile together!! Our team and this hike is AWESOMESAUCE!! ”

Thank you to CVI and all of the CVI employees who donated, and to Lynn Zambrano for volunteering at the registration booth. Many thanks also go to Charlotte Kobayashi, who volunteers for this organization year-round and brought this worthy cause to CVI’s attention! Next year, we hope to have an even bigger team and blow the donations out of the water!

For more scenes from the hike, visit: www.zerobreastcancer.org
[by Meghan Peddicord]

Mike Rohan, Karen, his wife, along with Kris Axell, and his son Jon, spent a day selling yearbooks at the Seahawks Training Camp on August 7th , 2015, where all proceeds went to benefit Sports in Schools. Kris also sits on the Board of Directors of Sports in Schools, sold yearbooks with his son. Over $15,000 dollars was raised for Sports in Schools by selling yearbooks by volunteers over the week. [by Mike Rohan]

As the Jewish New Year is coming up, beginning at sunset on Sunday, September 13, 2015 and ending at nightfall on Tuesday, September 15, 2015, Diane Frate and Lisa Slen helped package honey sticks, apple cinnamon tea and cards to people within the Jewish Community to wish them a Happy New Year. The significance of having apples and honey is for a sweet New Year. It is one of the times of year they ask for donations.
The UJF (United Jewish Federation) obtains funds by organizing different events and requesting donations throughout the year. The funds raised are given to a number of different organizations depending on the need.
Some of the organizations include:
• Summer Camps
• Friendship Circle of Fairfield County was founded on the idea that within each person is a soul, regardless of any limitations that may surround it. The Friendship Circle’s unique approach brings together teenage volunteers and children with special needs for hours of fun and friendship. These shared experiences empower children with special needs, while enriching the lives of everyone involved.
• Jewish Community Center – The Stamford JCC is a cultural, educational and recreational center, offering exceptional programs, classes and special events designed to enrich the mind, body and spirit.
• Jewish Family Service – Since 1978, their mission is to sustain families and individuals through all of life’s challenges and build strong, healthy communities.
• Jewish Senior Services – Provides Senior Services throughout Fairfield County – They help provide the care for all faiths, ethnicity and backgrounds.
It was a successful morning, as all 1500 packages were completed and ready for mailing. [By Lisa Slen]

On July 24th Eric Beckman took three separate boat rides to reach Stuart Island in the very northwest corner of the United States to spend the day working with a team of volunteers from the San Juan Preservation Trust. The group worked to help restore a recently donated parcel of land that was added to the Wren Hill Preserve to its natural state by removing old structures and invasive species.

Founded in 1979, the San Juan Preservation Trust has permanently protected more than 37 miles of shoreline and 15,000 acres on 20 islands, including land now managed as public parks, nature preserves, wildlife habitat and working farms and forests. The Preservation Trust ranks in the top 2% of land trusts (out of over 1,700 nationally) in number properties protected.
[By Eric Beckman]

Two volunteers, Curita Harper, cancer survivor, and Charlotte Kobayashi, from Corporate Visions, are making phone calls to 600+ hikers and runners inviting them to sign up for Marin’s Zero Breast Cancers event to be held on Saturday, September 26, starting at Old Mill Park in Mill Valley, California.
This hike or run is a wonderful way to do something healthy with your friends & family—in a beautiful environment—while supporting one of the leading Bay Area breast cancer organizations focusing on prevention and risk reduction. It is a noncompetitive, all-ages event for hikers & runners that with a selective 6-mile loop starting and ending at famous Dipsea steps [670 steps] and glorious views of Mount Tamalpais.

After the hike, attendees will join our celebration in Old Mill Park with food, music, and raffle prizes.

Zero Breast Cancer’s focus is a community based not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to finding the causes of breast cancer through community participation in the scientific research process. Their focus is on identifying environmental factors and the role they play in breast cancer of all stages of lie and across generations.

For more information, please visit website: www.zerobreastcancer.org
[By Charlotte Kobayashi]

On Friday, July 24, 2015, Jim Jordan and his wife, along with several of Jim’s wife’s Dow Chemical colleagues, joined approximately 200 other volunteers in the gym at Delaware Valley University to create, package and ship over 100,000 meals to families battling food insecurity in our community. The event was part of the annual months-long Bucks Knocks Out Hunger (BKO) program, coordinated by the local United Way.

Working in teams of 12, and using a process developed by the non-profit Outreach, Inc., they created a mini-assembly line. Ingredients, including rice, beans, soy, spices and dried veggies were placed in plastic bags, along with packets of vitamin powder. Each bag was then weighed and the amount of rice was adjusted to hit the designated target weight. Then the bags were heat sealed, stickers were affixed and they were packed, 36 to a box. Each team filled a minimum of 12 boxes per shift.

By the end of the day, more than 100,000, easy-to-prepare, nutritious meals were on their way to foodbanks throughout the region. Recipients need only empty the contents into a pot, add water and heat to make a tasty meal for 6. [by Jim Jordan]

Volunteers from the Pleasanton Office, Savannah Kimball, Korey Krueger, Mike A. Miller, Jeannie Frantz, Randi Newbould, Jason Weisfield, Joseph Coplans, Nina Vitvinchuk, and Leela Newman arrived at 7 am at the Castlewood Country Club in Sunol on June 1^st for the FOA’s 37^th Annual Dick Newmark Golf Classic benefitting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).  Over 125 golfers participated at raising over $5,000 for the MDA.  The P-town team assisted with making event goodie bags, selling raffle tickets and mulligans, and collected raffle ticket prizes.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world’s leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to saving and improving the lives of people with muscle disease, including muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research to find treatments and cures; by providing comprehensive health care services and support to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement.

Thursday, June 18, Diane Frate and Lisa Slen spent the morning addressing and placing stamps on the Save-the-Date postcards for the American Cancer Society’s annual roast.  This year, Bobby Valentine is being honored.  Bobby grew up in Stamford, Connecticut and is a former American professional baseball player and manager. He is currently the athletic director at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield,
Connecticut.

Proceeds from the event and live auction, “Hands Up For Hope” will benefit the American Cancer Society Research Program.

Lisa and I plan to assist again in mailing invitations in July and August for the annual roast.

Tuesday, June 23^th, Diane assisted in a second mailing for “Women Leading the Way in Wellness”.  For this event ,  the American Cancer Society hopes to encourage women to put their own health first and make lifestyle choices to stay well and prevent cancer.

Diane had the pleasure of working and meeting two other volunteers (Anna in picture above with Diane and Kathy not shown). By morning’s end, we were able to complete the entire mailing.   [By Diane Frate}

On May, 29, 2015, Dustin Ring and his girlfriend, Erin, volunteered for the Reno Tahoe Odyssey to support the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation (NNCCF).  They started at 8 pm, helped setup, ran the South Lake Tahoe check point for the relay race. and finished at 4 am!  The purpose of this event was to help raise awareness for NNCCF and to accept donations for the children and families.

Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation is the only organization dedicated solely to supporting children with cancer and their families in Northern Nevada and Eastern Sierra region. Dustin and Erin felt privileged to be part of their fundraising and community outreach programs.  [by Dustin Ring]

The morning of June 4, 2015, Diane Frate and Lisa Slen had the pleasure of taking part in the first annual Homes With Heart fundraiser sponsored by The First Congregational Church in Darien. Each year the church grants over $80,000 to twenty charitable organizations serving the youth, elderly and the disadvantaged through the outreach budget.  Funding sources include 10% of pledges as well as proceeds from their annual fundraising event –this year Homes With Heart!

The morning was spent checking in, registering, providing instructions, presenting raffle tickets and supplying attendees with maps of the homes on display.

Each attendee was provided with booties to wear in the homes along with the following firm instructions:

• No food/beverages
• No smoking materials
• No recording devices
• No cameras
• No sketching, measuring, photographs or pace out concepts
• No locations on the tour

Five Darien residents graciously opened their homes to Homes With Heart. Homes viewed were titled: Southern Hospitality (stately brick clad Federal home), Fieldhouse of Dreams (residence with three athletic boys – batting cage, turf field, indoor pool, squash court, bowling alley, fitness and massage rooms, ping pong and games and outdoor hot tub and fire pit), The Devil’s in the Details (home was renovated to capture the contemporary with Old World details), Sophisticated Simplicity (classic New England clapboard colonial with an open airy design.) and Artist Retreat (perfect mix of old and new architecture).

Summary of the fundraiser:

The event surpassed the organizations highest goals with over 500 people attending the tour.

Homes With Heart raised over $50,000 to benefit Person-to-Person and other local charitable organizations.

Attendees were impressed by the quality and scale of the homes on tour, but also by the organization and spirit of the volunteers.

This event was a tremendous success that the organizers are already at work for next year.  [by Diane Frate]