What has 56,000 legs, over 28,000 smiles and is the biggest “happening” in Sacramento every year?
If you guessed the 19th annual “Run to Feed the Hungry” for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, you guessed correctly.
For nearly two decades, members of the Sacramento community – and their friends and families from around the nation – have gathered to give back. Whether they are elite runners, average joggers or simple walkers, this event is one of the most respected 5K/10K events in the nation.
Held every year on Thanksgiving Day, participants agree: it’s a great way to give back to the community…and burn a few calories before indulging in a piece of pumpkin pie. Last year, 26,825 people participated on the event’s first rainy day. This year, more than 28,000 participants are expected.
“Run to Feed the Hungry is a Sacramento tradition for thousands of local families,” said Kelly Siefkin, communications director for the food bank. “The event offers a 5K and 10K course through the beautiful East Sacramento neighborhood. The Run is owned and operated by Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and raises funds to support six programs.”
Need knows no season…and seems to know every neighborhood. SFBFS serves families in need throughout Sacramento County, including local neighborhoods including Land Park, Arden and Carmichael. Some 20,000 unduplicated men, women and children receive free goods and education through SFBFS programs each month. The food program serves 16,000 unduplicated individuals each month.
The run raised $850,000 for the food bank last year – approximately 20 percent of the organization’s annual budget. Founded by Father Daniel Madigan in the basement of his Oak Park church in 1976, SFBFS runs a very lean, grassroots organization with an incredibly efficient, professional staff of 40 and a volunteer workforce of over 5,000 annually.
The Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22) fun begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at approximately 11 a.m. Participants will meet at Sacramento State’s J Street entrance for the start of the run/walk. New exit points from Sac State will improve traffic flow post-race.
Siefkin is excited about a new participant category this year: Virtual Runner.
“Is your spouse dragging you to Iowa for a snow laden Thanksgiving? Do you have 49 relatives descending on your living room around 11 a.m.? Are you more of a napper than a jogger? Then sign up as a virtual participant,” Siefkin said. “Your registration fee supports programs at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and you’ll still receive your shirt after the event, but you don’t have to run or walk on Thanksgiving morning.”
There is still time to sign up to participate, volunteer or join a team. There is also some new run attire available this year.
“Those who sign up to participate and who make an additional $50 contribution will receive a Run to Feed the Hungry knit beanie this year,” Siefkin said. “Participants are very excited about it – apparently, it’s becoming a hot collectible for those who participate every year.”

Registration for the Run to Feed the Hungry is available online until Nov. 20 at www.runtofeedthehungry.com. Participants can also register via mail until Nov. 10 or at REI from Nov. 17–21. For more information about SFBFS, www.sacramentofoodbank.org.

The Greenhaven Mothers Club 2012 Annual Charity Fundraising Auction raised more than $4,000.  Combined with remaining proceeds from the 2011 Charity Auction, the group is donating $800 to each of the six public elementary schools in the Greenhaven/Pocket area, for a combined donation of $4,800. The donations have no strings attached, only a request to hear what they used the money for (balls, jump ropes, paper, etc)

The six schools are: Didion, MLK, Pony Express, Caroline Wenzel, Matsuyama and Alice Birney

At the 2012 Auction, held on March 15, 2012, the group welcomed its largest attendance of members and guests ever, and exceeded its fundraising goals.  A survey of members and a vote by our Board of Directors determined that 2012 auction proceeds would be directed toward neighborhood schools.  The 2013 charity auction will be held on March 21, 2013.

The Greenhaven Mothers Club (GMC) is a non-profit organization serving
the Greenhaven/Pocket Neighborhood of Sacramento since 1969.  GMC is dedicated to promoting the welfare of mothers and children in their community.  GMC provides social and educational activities for members and their families, has a longstanding tradition of supporting local charities, and welcomes new members.

The 22nd Annual Curtis Park Wine Tasting, Silent Auction & Beer Garden was held Saturday, Oct. 6 from 4-7 p.m., at Sierra 2 Center. As one of SCNA’s largest fundraisers, the event brought local wineries, breweries and restaurants to Sierra 2 Center for tastings. Attendees enjoyed delicious food and beverages along with the exciting silent auction and raffle drawings. Items for bid included original art, spa packages, beach rentals, dance lessons and much more.

Although it just started a few months ago with a Facebook page, new nonprofit East Sac Give Back is already making quite an impact in the community, including helping to raise more than $3,000 toward the rebuilding efforts for the McKinley Park playground.
East Sac Give Back is the brainchild of 13-year East Sacramento resident Michael Saeltzer. A former public school teacher, Saeltzer is currently a stay-at-home dad to his 4- and 6-year-old daughters and lives in East Sacramento with them and his wife, Shinder.
“We just love (East Sacramento),” he said. “We have wonderful neighbors, nice parks, great schools, recreational sports – it’s kind of the ideal place for us.”
Saeltzer says he got the idea for East Sac Give Back after reading an article in The Sacramento Bee that talked about discrepancies between East Sacramento and nearby Oak Park.
“They did a lot of talking about how East Sacramento has a lot of healthcare, parks, restaurants and neat activities for kids, and how Oak Park is really struggling with a lot of those things,” he said. “But they didn’t talk a lot about how the communities actually relate to each other.”
Saeltzer decided to start a discussion about this issue online and after generating some positive responses from both community and business members to see what he could do to help bring the two communities together.
“The mission of East Sac Give Back is to provide the community a single philanthropic identity,” Saeltzer said. “It’s kind of unique in that it’s not just to strengthen our own community in East Sacramento, it’s actually to reach out to other communities in Sacramento also. And in the long-term we’re planning on giving 50 percent of our fundraising to another community or other communities and 50 percent to be reinvested back into East Sacramento proper.”

Having an impact
Although East Sac Give Back does not yet have its tax-exempt status – which is something Saeltzer is currently working on – the nonprofit has already been helping to raise money and work on projects toward its mission.
Right now the organization’s main efforts have been going toward helping raise money to rebuild the playground at McKinley Park in East Sacramento, which burned down the evening of July 27.
“When that happened is when I really decided that I want to pump it into high gear to see if we could get some volunteers for the rebuilding, maybe raise some funds, and bring people together in a positive way,” Saeltzer said.
By using the group’s Facebook page and a fundraising website called GoFundMe.com, in less than 48 hours East Sac Give Back raised more than $1,600 toward the rebuild. And as of Aug. 2, more than $3,000 has been raised through the website.
This total does not include donations East Sac Give Back has been receiving from area businesses that are doing their own collecting.
“I didn’t expect to get too much because times are pretty hard right now, but … we’re coming along,” Saeltzer said. “Some people are donating $100. I mean, that’s really nice. So that blew me away – that’s been exciting.”

Making a difference
In addition to helping rebuild the McKinley Park playground, East Sac Give Back is working on other projects such as looking at starting community gardening in East Sacramento.
“There’s no community gardening in East Sacramento and there’s a couple of them in Oak Park,” Saeltzer said. “We’ve been talking with some of the people in Oak Park about how they got theirs started and how we might be able to get one put in here.”
Additionally, the organization is looking into putting a circuit training course in a neighborhood park in memory of Dr. David Kilmer, who Saeltzer says passed away a few years go and was very physical fitness oriented.
And East Sac Give Back is also looking at what can be done to keep community swimming pools open for another summer.
“A lot of people have really felt happy this summer that the pools were able to stay open and some of them still need help with funding,” he said.
Saeltzer said he would also like to see East Sac Give back do some events that would bring in members of other communities, such as Del Paso Heights, Oak Park or West Sacramento, “so that people can start getting to know each other beyond just their neighborhood boundaries and maybe share their food and music and good times together.”

Forging ahead
As East Sac Give Back marches forward, Saeltzer hopes to bring on more members to his group to get more input on what the organization should be doing.
He gets many of these ideas from his Facebook page, which was set up May 5 and currently has 98 followers, and Facebook Group, which has 201 members.
Saeltzer says the convenience and ease of connecting with individuals and communities is what made him launch East Sac Give Back on Facebook.
“It’s been a great platform for me,” he said. “It’s been fairly easy to operate, it’s been free and it’s been very transparent, which I think helps a lot. It was the easiest, quickest way to get the word out.”
Saeltzer said the most important thing for him is to focus on things that bring people and communities together.
“I want (East Sac Give Back) to be continually growing and continually networking with other individuals, businesses and even other nonprofits to find out how we can do things to help out communities,” he said.

corrie@valcomnews.com

Simon and Garfunkel once said, “It’s all happening at the zoo.”
That certainly seems to be the case at the Sacramento Zoo, which this year is celebrating its 85th anniversary with many new attractions.

Small Wonders

The zoo’s main focus right now is on its capitol improvement project called Small Wonders, for which the zoo is currently working on construction plans and permits, according to director Mary Healy.

Healy says the new exhibit will be located across from the zoo’s giraffe exhibit, aptly named Tall Wonders, and will feature four new species of animals – a pair of African monkeys called Wolf’s Guenon, an African bat called a Straw-Colored Fruit Bat, an aardvark and a mongoose.

The zoo has already acquired the Wolf’s Guenon and will acquire the other animals as the project moves forward, Healy said.
Healy said the Small Wonders exhibit will help complete an area of the zoo where consistent improvements have been made to make the animals much more visible to guests.

She also said bringing in new species of animals provides new educational opportunities.

“We’ve never had any bats on exhibit,” Healy said. “We used to have one in the education department, but we’ve never had any on exhibit, and that’s going to be a fun opportunity. Kids like bats, they’re not intimidated by them. Some adults tend to still think they’re kind of creepy, so it’s kind of fun to bring in something like that that the kids are into.”

Wild affair

Although there is currently no opening date set yet for Small Wonders, Healy hopes the zoo will be able to give a timetable update to guests at the upcoming Wild Affair fund raising event on Oct. 6.

According to marketing coordinator Marisa Hicks, Wild Affair is the zoo’s annual black tie gala dinner and auction.

“It’s our grandest event focused on adults and just raising as much money as possible for the zoo, and this year that money is going toward Small Wonders,” she said.

During this year’s event, attendees will start the evening with appetizers and cocktails, plus the chance to take special behind-the-scenes tours of zoo exhibits.

“That includes behind-the-scenes in the primate area (and) the carnivore area, the lions and tigers,” Hicks said.
Wild Affair attendees will enjoy a plated dinner by Mulvaney’s B&L, a live auction hosted by Dave Bender from CBS13 and a show put on by zoo staff.

“The show is put on by the very same staff that has done tours, so somebody who was just showing you behind-the-scenes in the primate area may now be on stage in costume,” Hicks said. “There is no end to what our passionate zoo staff will do to raise money for our exhibits here.”

For the community

In addition to Wild Affair, the zoo has a number of events coming up to help benefit its surrounding community.
For example, now until the end of August, zoo guests can bring in a new, unwrapped school supply for a school supply drive and receive $1 off general admission.

Hicks said the supplies will be donated to a school in need in the local community. In November and December, patrons can bring in a donation for either Toys for Tots or the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and again receive $1 off general admission.

In October, the zoo’s popular Boo at the Zoo will return for two days, Oct. 30 and 31. Here kids can come in costume, visit 17 different candy stations and take rides on the “spooky” train and “creepy” carousel.

“Generally what people do on Halloween is they come to Boo at the Zoo and then they go out into Land Park and do the rest of their trick-or-treating, so it’s a real fun night,” Hicks said.

Additionally, the zoo has been hosting a number of nonprofits through different programming. For example, each night of the zoo’s summer Twilight Thursdays series gave a different nonprofit an opportunity to share its information with patrons.
Healy feels it’s important for the zoo to help out their fellow community nonprofits.

“We’re in kind of a unique position since we do get a half-million visitors to our zoo and we feel that we are in a position, kind of like the big brother, to help out some of the other organizations,” she said. “We just try to be a good partner and feel like we’re all in this together and a lot of the nonprofits are struggling.”

The next 85

As the Sacramento Zoo celebrates its 85th birthday, what’s in store for the next 85 years?
Healy says part of it will be focusing on offering more intimate experiences for zoo patrons.
“We know we’re limited with the 14 acre site (and) we want to make sure when people come here, they can see the animals up close and have interactions,” she said.

The zoo has already been moving in that direction with the all-glass river otter exhibit that allows kids to come “nose-to-nose” with the animals, the Tall Wonders giraffe exhibit that features supervised feedings twice a day and a window in the tiger exhibit where guests can sit next to the tigers.

“We just want to keep creating those kinds of special, up close experiences that make our zoo unique,” Healy said.
And Hicks says the zoo will continue to work on its main mission, which is to educate the next generation on conservation.
“They’re not going to conserve what they have today without being educated on what there is,” she said. “All of our programs (are) aimed toward engaging our audience and getting them to pay attention to conservation and observing that education so they carry it with them. And hopefully we’re creating that connection with wildlife that a lot of urban city kids don’t have.”

corrie@valcomnews.com

The G7 team presenting their check to President of Cristo Ray High School, Sister Eileen Enright, RSM.

Earlier this month, six local high school seniors: Cat Brown, Corinne Friend, Emily Pons, Kate Costa, Missy Rhiel (not pictured) and Sara Chierazi (not pictured) presented Cristo Rey High School (CR) with a check for over $3,800. Cristo Rey is a unique high school that provides an affordable Catholic, college preparatory education to students from low-income families in Sacramento.
The group goes by the official name of the G-7. It was formed four years ago while the girls were still in the eighth grade with the following mission: to create opportunities of hope, promote the well-being of others and be ambassadors of good will as well as agents of change.
Raising funds to help others has been a constant for the G 7. However, they have shown an understanding of the need for assistance both at home and outside the country.  More importantly, they have taken the initiative to put their mission into action.
Last August, the group traveled to the tiny rural community of Los Platanos in Argentina. Located about 45 miles outside of Buenos Aires, the village is quite poor. The goal of this visit was to assist The Maria Ward School, a remarkable institution operated by Catholic Nuns. It lacks many of the essentials needed to operate a school for children ages 3 to 18. While bunking with local host families for one week, the girls taught English, PE and Math classes, volunteered at a retirement home and assisted with various repair jobs for the K-12th grade school.
In addition to donating their time and energy, the G7 team also came bearing gifts. Their fundraising efforts prior to arrival allowed them to donate 12 brand new I-Pads along with a check for $5,000 to help with the school’s upkeep. Sister Mary, the school principal, summed up the G7’s efforts this way:  “These girls are truly a blessing. Their friendship, kindness and dedication to helping others will not be forgotten.” For their part, the girls all came back with stories of new friends, cultural challenges and memories that will last a lifetime.
To learn more about the G7 and to make donations, please visit: www.global7.webs.com

.

What is more satisfying on a hot summer day than a cool dip in a swimming pool? Everyone can relate but sadly with severe budget cuts needed across municipalities nationwide, many children only look longingly at their local community pool with disappointment.

SAVING SUMMER. Save Mart Supermarkets is leading an effort to keep community pools open this summer. / Photo iStockphoto

Save Mart stores in Sacramento want to change that and help local families be able to enjoy their community pools by the time the mercury starts to rise in the Valley. Through the “Help Save Mart Save Our Pools” campaign, Save Mart has pledged to match up to $500,000 in donations from businesses and the community at large, thus potentially making $1 million dollars available to support pool maintenance and programs within the City of Sacramento.

Beginning on Valentine’s Day, Save Mart will kick off its community fund-raising campaign in partnership with the City of Sacramento.  Businesses and the community at large are asked to give generously at their local Save Mart stores by purchasing a paper “Help Save Mart Save Our Pools” icon for a $1.00 or more.  The campaign will run for two months from February 14 to April 10, ending just in time for the City to begin maintenance needed for the pools to open on time.

Save Mart supports the communities where it does business and after reading the New York Times article, the Sacramento City pools seemed like the perfect opportunity for Save Mart to give back to the neighborhoods surrounding its Sacramento stores. “Every bit helps,” explained Steve Junqueiro, President and Chief Operating Officer of Save Mart. “We’d love to see businesses join us as a sponsor, but we’d also love to see kids in those neighborhoods be inspired to hold car washes or lemonade stands and then donate their money to their local Save Mart where we can double their effort through our matching commitment.”

“For Sacramento, this opportunity comes at the perfect time. Every day, community pools across the country are closing their doors as funds dry up,” said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. “But thanks to ‘Save the Pools’, Sacramento has the chance to bring back a traditional summer activity for families and become a model for how public-private partnerships can succeed. I look forward to working with Save Mart on a campaign that will be a huge win for Sacramento.”

Come learn how to work better with your four-legged canine family members and bring a potluck dish to feed 10 to 12 hungry neighbors at the Second annual Carmichael Canine Corral Dog Park Fundraiser Potluck on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Regional trainer for Petco, Tom J. Lucido, will be the guest speaker. There will be a raffle and plenty of prizes. All funds raised at this event will go to the renovation of the Carmichael Dog Park.

The event will be held at the Carmichael Veterans’ Hall, corner of Fair Oaks and Grant Avenue in Carmichael, Jan. 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event is $5 per person. Raffle tickets are $2 each or six tickets for $10. “Like” the Carmichael Canine Corral on Facebook. The group’s official website is www.CarmichaelDogPark.com. For additional information, email CarmichaelCanineCorral@yahoo.com.

The 1st annual Polar Bear Plunge will be held Saturday, Jan. 7 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Clunie Pool in East Sacramento’s McKinley Park.

CLUNIE CENTER. Painting by East Sacramento artist David Lobenberg. / Image courtesy, Friends of McKinley Library

All proceeds will go to help fund City pools for fiscal year 2013 and beyond.

The Sacramento Zoo will celebrate 85 years of wildlife education in the community during its 16th annual Wild Affair Gala fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 1. It promises to be a fun and decadently delicious “walk on the wild side” for those who attend.

ENJOY A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE and check out the animals at the 16th annual Wild Affair Gala fundraiser at the Sacramento Zoo on Oct. 1. There will be behind-the-scenes zoo tours, fine dining, silent auction items and more. One silent auction item includes the opportunity to have a cocktail party with the zoo’s giraffes. / Photo courtesy, Sacramento Zoo

Celebrating the Zoo’s 85 years as the premier resource for wildlife education in the community, this exclusive, safari-style gala will include special guided behind-the-scenes tours that are only offered once a year, fine dining and much more.

Unlike any other Sacramento gala, attendees begin their evening with the opportunity to experience chimpanzees and lemurs up close, tour where snow leopards and giant anteaters dwell, and stand eye to eye with the giraffes. Behind-the-scenes tours like these are only offered once a year during Wild Affair. Between tours there is an opportunity to participate in a silent auction and enjoy specialty cocktails and appetizers.

At dusk, guests gather under a spacious tent decorated for the evening where they will enjoy a delicious farm-to-fork dinner prepared by Patrick Mulvaney of Culinary Specialists and Mulvaney’s Building & Loan. Live auction offerings include a cocktail party with the giraffes at the Tall Wonders viewing deck; stays in South Lake Tahoe or a Strawberry Creek cabin; and a River Cats Luxury Suite. This magical evening is hosted by Dave Bender of CBS13. Throughout dinner, Sacramento Zoo staff and volunteers will give a performance that will take attendees through time. It is sure to be a delightful and memorable event.

During the evening, the Sacramento Zoological Society will recognize Wells Fargo for their generous contributions and ongoing support.

Open since 1927, the Sacramento Zoo is home to over 450 native, rare and endangered animals and is one of over 200 accredited institutions of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Located near the corner of Land Park Drive and Sutterville Road in William Land Park, the Zoo is wholly managed by the non-profit Sacramento Zoological Society. This Sacramento treasure inspires conservation awareness through education and recreation.

The 16th annual Wild Affair Gala will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the zoo. Tickets for Wild Affair are $150 per person. A table sponsorship for eight is $1,500. Space is limited; reservations are recommended. Call (916) 808-8815 or visit saczoo.org for information and reservations. The Sacramento Zoo is located at the corner of Land Park Drive and Sutterville Road in Sacramento’s beautiful William Land Park.