Renee, Author at Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Having Fun While Raising Funds

December 6, 2017 By Renee

Moraga Turkey Shoot Golf Tournament

The 5th Annual Senior Men’s Golf Association Tournament held in late October at Moraga Country Club raised more than $52,000 for the Food Bank. Thanks to everyone who fought hunger by participating in the live and silent auctions, purchasing raffle tickets, sponsoring a hole, underwriting the event, or just by making a financial donation. Special thanks to Craig Oden who volunteered his skills as a professional live auctioneer and prompted a lot of “spirited bidding” and donations.

Gourmet East Bay

In November Broadway Plaza and Diablo Magazine presented Gourmet East Bay, a party featuring premier tastings from top restaurants and great pours from local wineries, breweries, and spirits partners. Gourmet East Bay once again successfully brought the local food scene to life while raising funds to help the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano fight local hunger.

Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) Golf Tournament and Holiday Mixer

We appreciate WSPA’s ongoing support. In the last few months, they have held TWO fundraisers benefitting the Food Bank. Their annual Golf Tournament in August raised $14,000 to help us fight local hunger. In November they held a holiday mixer and graciously gave the Food Bank an additional $3850.

The 26th Annual Food From the Bar Fund Drive Raises over $56K!

July 3, 2017 By Renee

This year 24 law offices in Contra Costa County, representing 742 employees, recently raised more than $56,000 and 223 pounds of food! The Food Bank sincerely thanks the local legal community and our generous sponsors for fighting hunger!

Winners of the 2017 Food From the Bar Competition:

1 – 5 Employees:
Law Offices of Suzanne N. Boucher

6 – 10 Employees:
Brown, Gee & Wenger, LLP

11 – 20 Employees:
Bramson, Plutzik, Mahler & Birkhaeuser, LLP

21 – 50 Employees:
Gagen, McCoy, McMahon, Koss, Markowitz & Raines, A Professional Corporation

51 and over Employees:
Archer Norris, PLC

Thank you to the Food From the Bar Sponsors:
3D-Forensic
ADR Services
Aiken Welch Court Reporters
Archer Norris, PLC
Brown, Gee & Wenger, LLP
Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP
Certified Reporting Services
Contra Costa County Bar Association
Esquire
Ferber Law
First Legal Network
Gagen, McCoy, McMahon, Koss, Markowitz & Raines, A Professional Corporation
Huseby
Law Offices of Suzanne N. Boucher
McNamara, Ney, Beatty, Slattery, Borges & Ambacher LLP
Miller Starr Regalia
Newmeyer & Dillion LLP
QUiVX
Vasquez Benisek & Lindgren LLP

Food Bank golf tournament “putts” children first

April 12, 2017 By Renee

We want to enthusiastically thank our sponsors and all who participated in the 5^th annual Drive Fore Break on Hunger Golf Classic on April 3^rd. Over 140 golfers enjoyed a sunny day on the beautiful course at Round Hill Country Club. One lucky golfer even sunk a hole-in-one!

This tournament plays an important part in fighting hunger in our community. The money raised helps us feed children during the summer months, when kids are most at-risk of hunger.

Please check out our Facebook page to view photos from the event.

We will announce the 2018 tournament date soon; we look forward to seeing you next year!

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Sutter Delta Medical Center
Tesoro Refining and Marketing
Pacific Service Credit Union
Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery and Carbon Plant
Lennar | FivePoint
Contra Costa Electric Inc.
Maze & Associates
Sutter Health
Ameriprise Financial
Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.
Coca-Cola
Jersey Mike’s Subs

The 25th Annual Food From the Bar Fund Drive Raises over $50K!

July 12, 2016 By Renee

This year 38 law offices in Contra Costa County, representing almost 700 employees, recently raised more than $55,000 and 224 pounds of food! The Food Bank sincerely thanks the local legal community and our generous sponsors for fighting hunger!

Winners of the 2016 Food From the Bar Competition:

1 – 5 Employees: Law Offices of Suzanne Boucher

6 – 10 Employees: Cooper, White & Cooper LLP

11 – 20 Employees: Bramson, Plutzik, Mahler & Birkhaeuser LLP

21 – 50 Employees: Gagen McCoy

51 and over Employees: Archer Norris

Thank you to the Food From the Bar Sponsors:

ADR Services

Aiken Welch Court Reporters

Archer Norris

Brown Gee & Wenger

Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP

Certified Reporting Services

Contra Costa County Bar Association

Esquire

Ferber Law

First Legal Network

Gagen, McCoy, McMahon, Koss, Markowitz & Raines, A Professional Corporation

Law Offices of Suzanne Boucher

McNamara, Ney, Beatty, Slattery, Borges & Ambacher LLP

Miller Starr Regalia

Newmeyer & Dillion LLP

QUiVX

Robert G. McGrath American Inn of Court

U.S. Legal Support

Vasquez Benisek & Lindgren LLP

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

The Recorder

Back Forty Texas BBQ

Attendees experienced a taste of the “good life” at Taste of Champions event

April 1, 2015 By Renee

The Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano and Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo teamed up with 49er legend, Eric Wright to put on Taste of Champions in early March. The 400 people in attendance at the fundraising event took in the scenic views of Levi’s Stadium and enjoyed gourmet food prepared by Chef Santana Diaz. They were treated to live music while they mingled with some of their favorite champion athletes. Guests had the opportunity to bid on coveted prizes such Super Bowl 50 tickets, a VIP weekend to the Kentucky Derby, passes to a Dancing with the Stars performance and cookies personally made by Kristi Yamaguchi. With the focus on childhood hunger, this event raised enough funds to provide over 90,000 meals for children this summer!

Give Where You Live ABC7 Thanksgiving Food Drive

December 8, 2014 By Renee

There is no other way to put it, hunger just hurts more during the holidays. For many in the Bay Area, this time of year shines a spotlight on just how much food insecurity affects their lives. That’s why ABC7 and Bay Area food banks are working together to collect much needed food and cash donations this holiday season.

On Nov. 18th ABC7 broadcasted live from the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano warehouse in Concord. On-air interviews were conducted with people who receive food, member agencies, and of course our own executive Director, Larry Sly. Volunteers and visitors were able to meet Spencer Christian, ABC7 News weather forecaster, in person. Food provided by Panera Bread, Round Table, Togo’s and Tower Grille, kept our guests energy up while Mark from Denon & Doyle kept the music going for the evening’s festivities.

More than 780,000 people in the Bay Area go hungry each month. That’s about 1 in 6 Bay Area residents, which includes families, children and seniors. For 23 years, ABC7 and Bay Area food banks have worked together and you can join us in helping feed our neighbors in need this holiday season! Text the word FEED to number 80077 to donate $10 to Bay Area food banks. When prompted, reply with YES to confirm the donation and have it added to your phone bill.

In addition to your donations, each of the Bay Area food banks were awarded with $15,000 from Disney-ABC to help provide food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, to children and families who need it most in the Bay Area.

Fall Events – Fun for Cause

December 8, 2014 By Renee

Thank you to everyone who hosted and attended events this Fall. Here are some highlights from the recent calendar.

Scare Away Hunger – Thanks to the students at Alhambra and Concord High Schools who spent their Halloween collecting food. In just a few hours, they collected more than 14,862 pounds of food and $2,500.
Gourmet East Bay – Gourmet East Bay, Sponsored by Diablo Magazine and Broadway Plaza was held on Saturday November 1^st. Guests were able to sample dishes from many top local restaurants, and fill their glasses with the finest wines, brews and spirits from local vendors. Live music, great weather, and fantastic silent auction items to bid on made this the place to be! The Food Bank was able to raise $7,700, which that will be used to purchase food for the holidays. Thank you to all who came out and supported the Food Bank.
The Habit Burger Grill in Antioch held its Pre-Grand Opening on Tuesday November 11^th. One hundred percent of proceeds from the lunchtime sales of their mouth-watering menu items were donated to the Food Bank!
Moraga Turkey Shoot – The Moraga Country Club Senior Golf Association, and the Moraga Country Club, sponsored their second annual “Turkey Shoot”, on Thursday November 6^th. Thank you to everyone who participated. Through registration, a silent auction and a very entertaining live auction, we were able to raise more than $21,000 to help feed those experiencing hunger in our community.
Scouting for Food – over 120,000 pounds were collected by Scouts in Contra Costa and Solano Counties in one day!
WSPA Holiday Mixer – The Western States Petroleum Association mixed and mingled for the 4th annual Holiday mixer. Guests donated along with registration adding up to over 8,600 meals!
ABC7 Give #WhereYouLive – ABC7 Weather Anchor, Spencer Christian spent the evening with the Food Bank for a live broadcast on November 18th where he presented us with a check for $15,000 from parent company, Disney. We were also joined by member agencies, clients, volunteers and donors who shared their stories on the air and helped box produce. Thanks to all who showed up in person or tuned in to support Give #WhereYouLive.
Manor Care in Rossmoor partied the night away, casino-style for their annual holiday party and open house. Guests contributed enough funds for over 3,000 meals!

To learn more about events you can attend, visit www.foodbankccs.org/events.

Gourmet East Bay Put The “Fun” In Fundraising

November 25, 2014 By Renee

Angela, a friend to the Food Bank, and Aaron, a Food Bank Ambassador, share their knowledge with the guests at Gourmet East Bay.

The annual event, Gourmet East Bay, sponsored by Diablo Magazine and Broadway Plaza was held on Saturday November 1^stin Walnut Creek. Guests were able to sample delectable dishes from twenty of the top local restaurants, and fill their glasses with the finest wines, brews and spirits from local vendors. Live music from the crowd-pleasing popular band, Tainted Love, kept the atmosphere festive. Factor in the fantastic silent auction items to bid on, as well as the great weather, and it altogether made for a fun evening to remember! Best of all, the Food Bank received almost $8,000 that will be used to purchase food for the holidays for our community members in need. Thank you to all who came out and supported us!

Big Fun at 13th Annual Refinery Run

October 3, 2014 By Renee

Many dedicated refinery workers, contractors and their families all joined together at Supplies and Solutions in Fairfield excited for this year’s Refinery Run with a new starting point and new, longer route for all to experience together. Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery, Shell Oil Products US, Phillips 66 and Valero Benicia Refinery began collecting food and money in the beginning of August and ended mid-September with a fundraiser celebration which includes a Poker Run, sponsored by Supplies and Solutions, Contra Costa Electric, Brinderson Constructors, Inc. and Swan Associates, Inc., a motorcycle and custom classic car show, music, great food and lots of laughter. These refineries as well as their contractors and employees of both give time, money and food to help their neighbors in their community throughout the year. It is great experience working with all of them towards our mission. So far this year, they have been able to raise over $25,500 and 2829 pounds of food. Alfred Conhagen, Inc., Carone & Company, Inc., Harder Mechanical Contractors, McJunkin Red Man Corporation, Mistras Group, Inc., Redwood Painting Company Inc., Roberts Company, Unico Mechanical Corporation, Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co., Chevron and Regal Collision Repair, our Contractor Sponsors, also deserve big thanks for all the support they give to the Food Bank. The Shell Clubhouse was jumping with music by Old’s Khool Slingers, powered by DC Solar, and the food was good as always when using England’s Café & Catering. Great vendors, including Joyce Cid CMT, Origami Owl, Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys, Shell Refinery EMT/Fire engine, Crowne Plaza, Dr. Denise Britt with Contra Costa Chiropractic and Iron Steed Harley Davidson, a fun photo booth from Digital Audio Visual Solutions and a variety of raffle and silent auction items made this day complete. We would like to thank all of you for caring for and helping your neighbors in need.

Summer Fun at Food Bank Events

August 28, 2014 By Renee

Uncorked

Over one hundred Food Bank supporters and wine lovers joined us for the inaugural Food Bank Uncorked at the beautiful Green Valley Cellars in Fairfield on August 3. Our guests spent the afternoon enjoying the sun and scenery while tasting the amazing pairings of GV Cellars wine with appetizers and desserts made by MagPies Catering, grooving to the sound of the live music from Westbound 80 and learning about Food Bank programs from some of our staff. Thanks to our generous guests and sponsors like Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery we were able to bring in over $27,000, the equivalent of over 50,000 meals, to your neighbors in need.

Golden Gate Fields

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and Alameda County Community Food Bank joined forces with Golden Gate Fields for the second time on Sunday August 17th. We had stations and barrels located at both the Grandstand and Clubhouse entrances and were giving out free admission passes to anyone who made a donation. Thanks to the generosity of Golden Gate Fields for inviting us to host our Race to Fill Barrels we were able to collect 220 pounds of food and more than $2,300 for the food banks while raising awareness to the issue of hunger in our communities.

May Events that Made a Difference

May 28, 2014 By Renee

Food From the Bar Comedy Night

In May the Contra Costa County Bar Association held its 23^rd annual Food From The Bar fundraiser for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. It started with the 19^th annual Comedy Night kick-off, where 175 attorneys and guests enjoyed BBQ and belly laughs at Back Forty Texas BBQ in Pleasant Hill. More than 20 generous sponsors donated to support the event. That was followed by a two-week fundraising blitz by 35 large and small law offices in the county, whose 700+ employees helped raise more than $58,000. Over the years the Bar Association has collected more than $1,100,000 and 110,000 pounds of food for the Food Bank. The attorneys say they already are planning next year’s fundraiser and comedy show, as they work toward their second Million in donations!

A special thank you to our sponsors, we could not have done this without your support!

Wells Fargo, Archer Norris, Brown Church & Gee LLP, Newmeyer & Dillion LLP, The Recorder, Steele George Schofield & Ramos LLP, Timken Johnson LLP, Back Forty Texas BBQ, Contra Costa County Bar Association, Gil Berkeley, Law Offices of Suzanne Boucher, Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP, Certified Reporting Services, Esquire, Frankel Goldware Ferber LLP, Gagen McCoy McMahon Koss Markowitz & Raines, Miller Star Regalia, Quivx, Ringler Associates, Scott Valley Bank, Vasquez Benisek & Lindgren LLP

Drive Fore Break on Hunger Golf Classic– recap

On May 12^th the Food Bank hosted our 2^nd annual Drive Fore Break on Hunger Golf Classic where 120 golfers gathered at the beautiful course of Oakhurst Country Club to give their support. Because of all our amazing sponsors there was fun at every hole whether it was a giveaway or snack and drink station. After the tournament golfers enjoyed an award BBQ with raffle and contest winners announced. This tournament well exceeded our expectations. Thanks to everyone’s support we raised over $42,000 and hope to top that again next year.

Event Recaps, Fun = Food!

April 9, 2014 By Renee

Souper Bowl of Caring

During the week of Super Bowl Sunday schools and churches nationwide participated in the “Souper Bowl of Caring” by collecting money and/or food for their local charities. This year eight churches chose the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano as their charity beneficiary all together raising $6,371.28 and 290# of food! Thank you to all who participated in tackling hunger in our community this year.

Concord High Dinner Dance

Concord High Band Boosters with help from Concord High’s Instrumental Music Program let the good times roll at their Mardi Gras Dinner Dance on February 22^ndto benefit our Food Bank as well as the high school’s five music programs. Everyone enjoyed the festive decorations and food but nothing could compete with the amazing music being played by the 135 very talented students in the Jazz Ensemble, Stage Band and Orchestra who believe that music is food for the soul.

Empty Bowls

A big Thank You to the more than 300 people who attended our Empty Bowls events in Concord and Fairfield to share a table with new friends, sample tasty soups out of beautifully handcrafted bowls, and learn more about the local faces of hunger. We were able to raise over $19,000 and are extremely grateful to be on the receiving end of so much support from our community!

Uncorked

Golden Gate Fields

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