An Elderly Wish Foundation’s Executive Director, Mary Chapman prepares to draw the $1,000 prize winner’s name in the annual Fund-A-Wish fundraiser.

An Elderly Wish Foundation Board of Directors.

By Allen Payton

Thursday evening, at TreVista-Antioch Senior Living, the leaders and supporters of An Elderly Wish Foundation gathered for the drawing of the three winners in their fifth annual Fund-A-Wish fundraiser.

Tickets were sold for $100 each and “all 100 tickets were sold,” said Executive Director Mary Chapman.

Winner of the $1,000 prize was Max Tellez. He bought the ticket from foundation Board Member Nora Von Ubin.

“Wow, You’re kidding?” Tellez said when he was called with the good news.

The $500 winner was Carol Thibodeaux, who was in attendance. The ticket was sold by foundation Board Member Tracy Brown. The $250 winner was Marguerite Bloomfield, who was also in attendance. Mary Chapman sold her the ticket.

“The biggest thank you goes to our sponsors for this evening, TreVista-Antioch, Oakridge Winery, Black Bear Diner, CalBay Realty, East County Insurance, Homestar Real Estate, Summit Funding and The Print Club,” Chapman stated.

Mary Chapman presented TreVista-Antioch’s Senior Living Consultant Tamsen Meierdierck and Executive Director Sonya Smith with thank you gifts for being helping sponsor the fundraiser and hosting the evening’s event.

“The biggest thing is your support, all of you tonight,” she continued. “You’re the ones who make the elderly wishes come true. All of you have brought such joy to many, many seniors.”

Chapman shared about the latest wish the organization granted, which was for a lady with cancer, to enable her to travel to attend her son’s wedding.

Another wish was to replace another lady’s 40-year-old mattress with a mattress that moves up and down, and back and forth.

“She got seasick the first time she used it,” one of the attendees said with a laugh.

“Your support makes a wish come true,” Chapman stated. “You’re all invited to our 19th Heart to Heart Gala, Feb. 21, 2020 at Lone Tree Golf & Event Center.”

The theme, entitled “Putting on the Wish” and they’re asking attendees to dress in roaring twenties style black and white. For more information about the organization, visit www.elderlywish.org.

Los Medanos College (LMC) is partnering with John F. Kennedy University (JFKU) to host Olga Custodio, the first Latina to serve as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.  The event will be held on Tuesday, September 24, at LMC’s Pittsburg Campus in Room SC-136 (Science Building, first floor); Lt. Col. Custodio’s presentation will be held 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., followed by a reception.  The campus is located at 2700 East Leland Road in Pittsburg.   There is no charge to attend, and guests are asked to RSVP online.

The event, which is part of LMC’s fourth annual Equity Speaker Series, will feature Retired Lt. Colonel Olga Custodio sharing her story of “Passion, Patience & Persistence.”  Custodio was the first Latina to complete military pilot training in the United States Air Force (USAF), graduating in the top five percent of her class, and the first to become a USAF fighter pilot.  She went on to break even more barriers as the first female flight instructor at two major USAF bases, and later as the first Latina commercial pilot for American Airlines.  Living by the mantra, “querer es poder” – loosely translated to “where there’s a will, there’s a way” – Custodio’s perseverance, fighting spirit, leadership abilities, and passion for flying took her where few women have gone before.  Now retired, Lt. Col. Custodio continues to lead and inspire, championing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and motivating women and girls to pursue aviation and male-dominated professions.  She is involved with a number of professional and service organizations, including: Women Military Aviators Association, as an active charter member; Women in Aviation International, as executive director and treasurer of the Alamo City Chapter; the Hispanic Association of Aviation and Aerospace Professionals, as vice president; the Order of Daedalians; and the Daedalian Foundation, as a Trustee.  With her dedication to attracting more women and young people to aviation and STEM careers, she also serves as a mentor with the Aviation Explorers organization in San Antonio and with the School of Aeronautics of the Inter American University in Puerto Rico.

Collaborating on this event expands LMC’s existing partnership with JFKU.  The two institutions have previously partnered on a Student Wellness Program that provides mental health counseling to students at LMC.  In addition to marking Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Week and National Hispanic Heritage Month, the event with Lt. Col. Custodio reflects the shared commitment of LMC and JFKU – both Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), with undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic – to providing opportunities and support toward degree completion for Latino/a and minoritized students.  Lt. Col. Custodio’s visit comes on the heels of LMC celebrating its 10-year anniversary of participating in the Mathematics, Engineering, Science & Achievement (MESA) Program, which focuses on helping underserved and underrepresented students achieve success in the STEM workforce.

Questions about this event may be directed to Dr. Sabrina T. Kwist at skwist@losmedanos.edu or (925) 473-7314.

For more information about all of LMC’s Office of Equity & Inclusion, visit https://www.losmedanos.edu/equity.

PITTSBURG, CA — Nonprofit organizations, municipal or government agencies or school districts in East Contra County are invited to apply for community grants of up to $5,000 in the areas of education and environmental sustainability and workforce development programs for local students through Corteva Agriscience – Pittsburg Operations. Deadline for submittal of applications is Oct. 18, 2019.

The Corteva Community Grants are reviewed and approved by the site’s Community Advisory Panel (CAP), members of the East Contra Costa community who serve as liaisons between the community and Corteva (formerly Dow), and learn about the site’s operations, support shared goals and voice any concerns on behalf of the community.

“Corteva Agriscience values the opportunity to provide charitable giving to communities where the company has a presence,” said Jose Carrascal, Corteva Agriscience Site Director. “This site has been involved with the community for many, many years, and our CAP members help us to be better neighbors and we look forward to continuing that tradition. We know the CAP strives to select sustainable projects that result in positive and definitive outcomes within the neighboring communities. We support this endeavor wholeheartedly.”

Applicants must be certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, schools, municipalities and county entities located in or which provides services in Pittsburg, Bay Point and Antioch. Ineligible organizations, per Corteva’s contribution guidelines, include funding for individuals, political organizations, religious organizations, and grants cannot be used to underwrite salaries, stipends, travel, fundraisers, meals, utilities.

To obtain a grant application, go to the following link: Application, Guidelines, and FAQ’s

About Corteva Agriscience

Corteva Agriscience is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry – including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019, and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.

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