Banking on Hope
On Aug. 31, Wells Fargo presented Hope Builders with a $100,000 check at Angel Stadium.
The donation enables Hope Builders to continue empowering disadvantaged youth with job skills and support that lead to enduring personal and professional success.
In May, Wells Fargo announced it will give $400 million in cash to nonprofit groups this year in what it says is a 40% increase in corporate philanthropy. And starting next year, the bank said it will spend 2% of its after-tax dollars on philanthropy.
Building a Future
R.D. Olson Construction partnered with TCA Architects and local subcontractors to renovate nonprofit organization Olive Crest’s short-term residential therapeutic home in Santa Ana. The renovation of the 1954 home’s kitchen and living areas kicked off on Sept. 1.
Improvements include new flooring, appliances, water heater, air conditioning and other features to provide a more comfortable environment for the six young women living in the house. R.D. Olson Construction and TCA donated their time, materials and labor for the project.
The builder’s relationship with Olive Crest began more than 15 years ago when it took the lead in building a multipurpose facility for families. It’s continued to provide support to the nonprofit each year through holiday donations, back-to-school drives and the donation of amenities and supplies for residents to help Olive Crest further its mission of preventing child abuse, treating and educating at-risk children, and preserving families.
CEOs Fit to Give
Alzheimer’s Orange County was among several Orange County-based nonprofit groups that received portions of more than $300,000 raised by the 2018 Stark Naked Challenge, founded by Todd Vande Hei, president and co-founder of Irvine-based Stark Personal Fitness Center.
Fourteen participants, including a number of Orange County business leaders, took part in the fundraiser, which pitted Orange County’s fittest competitors against each other in a rigorous five-month fitness and nutrition competition. The contest concluded in August. The top fundraisers included Dastmalchi Chief Executive Alex Dastmalchi, who raised more than $3,000 for Corazon De Vida; Space Jam Juice Chief Executive Danny Peykoff, who raised more than $200,000 for Innocence Project; Gen Next Chief Executive Michael Davidson, who raised more than $35,000 for the Gen Next Foundation; and Advent Cos. Chief Executive Tyson Jacobsen, who raised $18,000 for Jamboree Housing.
Vande Hei personally raised nearly $24,000. “I wanted to find a cause that connected with my passion for health and wellness,” he said. “There are 84,000 people with dementia in Orange County. What research we have on dementia tells us that diet and exercise are the two things that may delay the onset of dementia or slow its progression.”
Let’s Go to the Zoo
On Aug. 25, the Friends of Santa Ana Zoo hosted its annual black-tie Zoofari event, themed “Mayan Jungle.” The gala, which took place under the stars on the zoo grounds, raised more than $100,000. It was sponsored in part by US Bank, Disneyland Resort, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Signature Rentals.
At the start of the evening, guests were greeted by various zoo animals, including a ball python, spectacled owl and a French rooster, with their docent handlers. They were then invited to stroll through the grounds and ride the Conservation Carousel and the newly opened Fifty Monkey Ferris Wheel, as well as visit the 50 monkeys for which the zoo is famous.
US Bank staff members were honored for financial and volunteer support. The team, spearheaded by Leanne Miller, project manager (retired), and John Kearney, vice president and district manager, South Orange County, was instrumental in financing and completing the Fifty Monkey Ferris Wheel.
The funds raised will support and improve the zoo, including the continued development and construction of its newest endeavors, the Giant River Otters habitat and the Primate Trails Experience.
Bits & Pieces
On July 27, The Child Creativity Lab and interns at Pacific Investment Management Co. partnered with Think Together to provide 20 underprivileged elementary students with the opportunity to build robots with donated Legos, prescription drug vials and other upcycled materials. … As part of an annual month-long program known as GoogleServe, 14 staff members from Google’s Irvine office assembled 20 wheelchairs for Free Wheelchair Mission, a nonprofit organization that’s distributed more than a million wheelchairs in 93 countries since 2001. … On Aug. 28, Orange County School of the Arts honored longtime supporters Henry and Susan Samueli for their $2 million donation to the Masterpiece in the Making Campaign with the naming of The Samueli Family Art & Science Center. … For the third consecutive year, Goodwill of Orange County was awarded a $30,000 grant from Bank of America to further its work at the Tierney Center for Veteran Services, a comprehensive resource for local military veterans and their families.
