Special 30th anniversary fund to build resiliency, well-being for Contra Costa County organizations

WALNUT CREEK, CA…With gratitude to nonprofit organizations for their continued commitment to elevating the community, the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation is pleased to announce the CARE Fund. This one-time $300,000 fund marks the Lesher Foundation’s 30-year history of grantmaking and honors its community partners.

“Organizations rooted in the community are essential to addressing social problems and taking on tough issues. It’s inspiring to see the network of support Contra Costa children and families can rely on for safety, hope, joy, strength, and opportunities,” said Steve Lesher, Lesher Foundation Board President. “Our family is proud to carry forward my grandparents’ vision of enhancing the quality of life in our community, and we will continue to support our community partners for many years to come.”

The Lesher Foundation will award a limited number of one-time grants ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 to support organizational resilience and nonprofit staff well-being, providing funding for retreats, practices of care, conferences, training and coaching. Nonprofit organizations that are in Contra Costa County or directly benefit its residents and support children and families, education, and arts and culture are invited to apply. Online applications are due by July 19, 2024, and applicants will be notified by August 30, 2024.

“We know many of our nonprofits carry their mission and vision on their shoulders, and that can be a heavy weight day after day and year after year,” said Devorah Levine, Executive Director of the Lesher Foundation. “The CARE Fund supports the strength and wisdom of the nonprofit sector and recognizes the essential need to focus on the care and well-being of staff and organizational resilience.”

The Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation has a clear and simple mission—to enhance the quality of life for all residents of Contra Costa County. Founded in 1989 by the late Dean Lesher and his wife Margaret, the Lesher Foundation continues to uphold this value, giving more than $100 million in grants to programs benefitting children and families, particularly those in underserved and low-income areas.

For more information, visit lesherfoundation.org/care-fund or call (925) 935-9988.

Bring your dad to Antioch’s historic downtown and enjoy seeing the cars, plus, vendor booths, music and food from Rivertown restaurants during Celebrate Antioch Foundation’s annual Rivertown Father’s Day Car Show on Sunday, June 16, 2024.

To participate, click on the following:

Car Show Application available at https://form.jotform.com/240678550555160

Craft Vendor Application available at https://form.jotform.com/240679443376163

To learn more about Rivertown and its merchants follow www.Facebook.com/AntiochRivertown. For more information about the Celebrate Antioch Foundation visit www.CelebrateAntioch.org.

By Antioch Unified School District

The crowd was loud and proud as the seniors from Live Oak High – Home of the Pegasus – walked the stage on Wednesday night, June 5, 2024,

Held in Antioch High’s Beede Auditorium, the 78 graduates were joyfully applauded as they received their diplomas. Several were also awarded scholarships.

Cheers to them all!

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The joyfulness was at its highest-level during Bidwell High’s graduation.

Held on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Deer Valley’s theater, the nearly 75 seniors proudly received their diplomas while family and friends cheered. Several of them received special scholarships.

Wishing these hard-working Bulldogs the best on their next adventure.

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It was a celebratory night as students were loudly cheered during the graduation for Prospects High – home of the Hawks – and Antioch Adult Education – The Anchor to Lifelong Learning.

Held at Antioch High’s Beede Auditorium on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, several stand-out students also received scholarships.

Wishing these graduates the very best!

See more photos of each school’s graduation and celebration on the AUSD Facebook page.

The Herald congratulates all the graduates. May God bless each of you in your future!

UPDATE: Now featuring Stellar award-winning recording artist Lena Byrd Miles – featured on Grammy award winning albums, DJ Superb and Anthem Nights Sac.

Presented by 4ever Me Foundation, supporting the socio-emotional wellbeing of youth and young adults. For 2024 Juneteenth Vendor Registration or Donations visit 4evermefoundation | Linktree. Learn more at www.facebook.com/4evermefoundation/.

Free Community & Family Event

Victory Outreach Antioch presents Unleashed, A Community and Family Event on Saturday, June 22, 2024. Enjoy a custom car show, free haircuts, live hip hop music concert featuring artist EGR and a food giveaway. The event will be held at Antioch City Park on the corner of A and W. 10th Streets from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Victory Outreach Antioch is located at 2400 A Street on the corner of Rossi Street in Antioch. For more information about the church visit https://voantioch.com.

Enjoy live music from headliners The Main Ingredient and Slave

This year’s Juneteenth Celebration presented by Grace Arms of Antioch will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2024 and feature a Kids Corner, food, games, vendors and live music with headliners The Main Ingredient and Slave.

The event runs from Noon until 5:00 p.m. at the Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch Campus, 3415 Oakley Road in Antioch. Vendor booths and sponsorships available. For more information visit http://www.gracearmsofantioch.org.

History of Juneteenth

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was given by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the beginning of the end of slavery wouldn’t be recognized until sometime later – June 19, 1865.

​Early celebrations date back to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. They spread across the South amongst newly freed African American slaves and their descendants and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival. Participants in the Great Migration brought these celebrations to the rest of the country. 

​The day was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.

​Start of Juneteenth Celebration

When the American Civil War ended, the Union Army arrived in Texas led by Major General Gordon Granger who was given command of the District of Texas on June 10, 1865. On June 19, in the city of Galveston, one of the first orders of business was to post Granger’s General Order No. 3 to inform a reluctant community that President Lincoln over two years earlier had freed the slaves and to press locals to comply with his directive. His order began with:

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”

This set off joyous demonstrations by the freed people, originating the annual Juneteenth celebration, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas. The celebration’s name is a blend of the words “June” and “nineteenth”.

​Why did it take so long for the news to get to Texas? 

 There is no one reason why there was a two-and-a-half-year delay in letting Texas know about the abolition of slavery in the United States, according to Juneteenth.com. The historical site said some accounts place the delay on a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news, while others say the news was deliberately withheld.

Due to the delay, slavery did not end in Texas overnight, according to an article by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. originally posted on The Root. Gates said after New Orleans fell, many slavers traveled to Texas with their slaves to escape regulations enforced by the Union Army in other states. 

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe invites the public to join him for the first Antioch Salutes Ceremony that honors high school graduates who have chosen to serve our nation in the United States Armed Forces and become part of the 1% of Americans who serve in military uniform.

The ceremony will include entertainment and refreshments. Several elected city officials, military officers and Armed Forces veterans will be in attendance.

Student enlistees will be sworn in, receive a special Certificate of Commendation from the mayor and a special Thank You for their service to the nation.

The event will be held at Noon on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 101 Waldie Plaza across from City Hall in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. To register for the free event visit Antioch SALUTES Tickets on Eventbrite.

For Antioch residents or AUSD students; deadline Aug. 30

The YOCH Internship program is designed for teens ages 12-15 and is a unique opportunity offering a chance to engage in meaningful work while gaining valuable skills and experiences. Some participants may even qualify for a stipend based on their age, making it both rewarding and financially beneficial.

At present, our internship focuses on tutoring younger Antioch youth in Math & Reading, serving as mentors and role models to support academic growth. To ensure the success of this initiative, applicants must have a GPA of 2.9 or higher when applying for the internship. This program is open to both AUSD students and Antioch residents, providing a platform for local youth to make a positive impact in their community while furthering their own educational development.

To apply visit antiochca.gov/register Activity Code #11422. For more information, please email us at youth@antiochca.gov or visit antiochca.gov/youth. Join us in empowering the next generation of leaders and scholars!