The Year So Far – 2015 Second Quarter
At Shades of Pink Foundation California, we have been staying busy reviewing grant requests and making grants to truly deserving women in our community who are fighting breast cancer. You’ll meet one of these women, Maria, at the end of this newsletter. Though making grants is definitely the most fulfilling part of what we do at SOPFCA, we’re also keeping busy in other ways. Currently, we are preparing for our biggest fundraising event yet: Racing for the Pink 5k, which takes place Saturday, May 2. We’ve been working hard to tell the public about this event, which we hope will raise $10,000.
Also in this newsletter, we want you to get to know the names and faces of the incredible women who give their time to SOPFCA. (All our members are 100% volunteers.) We will introduce you to Board Member Kas Gallucci who has worked tirelessly to make Racing for the Pink a success. Finally, we will swing our spotlight over one of our newest donors, Henry Schein Orthodontics.
We want to thank you again for being part of our growing community. Your commitment and your belief in what we do means the world to us. Be sure to scroll down and real all the news.
Sincerely,
Vembra Holnagel
Marketing Officer, Shades of Pink Foundation California
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In This Issue
Upcoming Events
SOPFCA Member Spotlight Kas Gallucci…more
Donor Spotlight Donor Spotlight…more
The Year So Far …issued nine grants this year totaling nearly $4K…more
Racing for the Pink 5k Check out our past events page to see how we did!
Grantee Spotlight Maria…more
How You Can Help More Women in San Diego Need Your Help…more
Upcoming Events
Racing for the Pink 5k
When: Saturday, May 2, 2015
Where: Road Runner Sports
5553 Copley Drive
San Diego, CA 92111
Time:8:00 AM
Cost: $30
Wine and Paint Fundraiser
When: Thursday, August 6th
Where: Mia Francesca Italian Restaurant
Del Mar Highlands Town Center
12955 El Camino Real G-4
San Diego, CA 92130
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Cost: $35 (includes paint supplies and instruction)
The Paints Uncorked “social” painting event promises to be fun!
Each participant will be provided with a canvas and paints and an instructor will show you how to create an amazing and beautiful masterpiece which you will be able to take home. No experience is necessary and all supplies are included for your $35.
CONTACT USto be notified as soon as event registration is open.
SOPFCA Member Spotlight
Kas Gallucci
Kas is a board member of SOPFCA and on the fundraising committee. Over the past months, she has worked tirelessly as the event leader for the Racing for the Pink 5k.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Kas admitted. “Since this is the first year of the race,it isn’t a well oiled machine quite yet.”
Some of the biggest challenges in planning the race have been securing sponsors, finding vendors, and getting the word out to the community. Kas is thankful for all the help Road Runner Sports has provided and for the hard work the members of SOPFCA board have put toward the race.
Kas first heard about SOPFCA when she was approached by her friend Kianne Holnagel to join. The mission of SOPFCA really struck home. Kas’s grandmother lost her battle against breast cancer in 2005. While her grandmother had family support to help her during her treatment, Kas remembers, “not every woman has that type of support.”
One of the best parts of being a member of SOPFCA, according to Kas is receiving heartwarming thank you letters from grant recipients.
When she isn’t volunteering her time with SOPFCA, Kas works as an attorney at the Law Offices of Ronald A. Marron. An Encinitas native, Kas attended La Costa Canyon HS, went to college at USD and received her law degree from California Western School of Law.
In her free time, Kas loves to head out to Fiesta Island and go stand up paddleboarding or kayaking with her energetic rescue mutt, Hudson, and boyfriend James Pilley.
Kas’ family will be joining her on May 2nd for the Race and she looks forward to seeing everyone on that Saturdaymorning.
Donor Spotlight
We were thrilled this year when
Henry Schein Orthodontics reached out to us and made a donation to Shades of Pink Foundation California.
Henry Schein is a global company that pursues the ideal of “doing well by doing good.” Corporate giving is in this company’s DNA, and it empowers each of its branches to support local organizations.
Henry Schein Orthodontics, located in Carlsbad, CA wanted to support an organization in North County San Diego. Tracey Corea, the branch’s Manager of Human Resources remembers being impressed with the presentation SOPFCA made to the company.
SOPFCA is not the only great cause Henry Schein Orthodontics supports. The company also sponsors
Back to School a program that provides backpacks to underprivileged school children, Operation HOPE where Henry Schein employees and their families serve meals to the homeless, Think Pink, and many other great causes.
Thank you again to all the employees of Henry Schein. We hope to enjoy a long lasting relationship with this great corporate citizen.
Shades of Pink Foundation California
Info@shadesofpinkfoundationca.org
vembra@shadesofpinkfoundationca.org
The Year So Far
The 2015 year is still young, but we’ve managed to accomplish a lot in the first quarter. SOPFCA is happy to report that we’ve already
issued nine grants this year totaling nearly $4K with more grants pending.
We couldn’t have done it without you. The money for these grants comes from our 2014 fundraising efforts. If you donated to our organization last year, your money is making a difference in the lives of grateful women right now
We look forward to continuing our work to help as many women as possible throughout the year. The need is great, and every story touches our hearts. Read below to meet one of our most inspiring grant recipients, Maria.
Racing for the Pink is Almost Here!!!
Our ability to issue grants depends on continuing to receive donations and replenishing our fundraising coffers. This year we are launching our most ambitious fundraising event yet, Racing for the Pink 5K, a 3.2 mile walk/run on May 2.
We want to make this race a beloved annual event, which means it’s critical that we get the word out.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We need running shoes on the groundSaturday morning. It’s only $30 to be a part of our event to raise awareness about our foundation and support our local women. You can even bring your four-legged running buddy too! The more runners we have, the more grants we can give in the future.
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $10,000
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2015
Time: 8:00 AM
Location: Road Runner Sports
5553 Copley Drive
San Diego, CA 92111
Participate by:
- Donating to an existing racer or team to help them meet their goal
- Lacing up your shoes and participating in the 5k for just $30. You can bring your furry friend too!
- Creating your own team and setting a fundraising goal
- Volunteering at the race to make this a safe and fun event for all!
- Talking up the race to your friends, family, and social media circles
Visit our Racing for the Pink 5k website now to donate and/or participate.
Grantee Spotlight: Maria
Up to this point…I always supported myself and never asked for help.
Before Maria was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer in June of 2014, she was a self-employed hair dresser. Money was tight, but with her income, she and her husband were able to pay their bills.
As a result of her cancer, Maria underwent a lumpectomy, which caused lymphedema, or painful swelling in her left arm. This pain, along with other sides effect of her radiation therapy made it impossible for Maria to continue to work.
Radiation therapy requires continuous treatments. Since Maria and her husband only had one car and were extremely conscious of wasting gasoline, he would drop her off at her radiation appointments at3 AM in the morning on his way to work. She would have to wait the rest of the day until he could pick her up again at the end of his shift. Maria had to make the 160-mile round trip every day during her radiation treatment.
Without Maria’s income, she and her husband struggled to pay for important things like auto insurance, gas, and utility bills. With the help of our donors, SOPFCA was able to give Maria a grant that went toward paying for car insurance and utility bills and buying a special prosthesis to help Maria manage her pain.
Read Maria’s full story and the stories of our other deserving grant recipients.
Click here to read more.
More Women in San Diego Need Your Help
We hope that all of our hard work and Maria’s story has inspired you to continue to be an active member in our community. Please consider participating in one of our great upcoming events or making a donation today. There are so many women right here in our community who are struggling just to afford the basic necessities of life for themselves and their families while facing difficult and exhausting cancer treatments.
We’d like to leave you with the Shades of Pink Foundation California mission statement:
The mission of the Shades of Pink Foundation is to provide temporary monetary assistance to women who are experiencing financial distress as a result of a breast cancer diagnosis. Serving California women.
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