Join us Saturday April 2nd, 11am – 3pm for Antioch Historical Society’s Sesquicentennial Kick-Off BBQ! This will be a fun day of food, music and great family fun! Tour our beautiful museum free of charge, live music from Vocal Ease and our local high school and view Antioch’s Middle Schools Art Contest Winners! This event is free to the public. However, food and beverages are an additional charge. Your ticket purchase is for a delicious barbeque meal.

Don’t miss this historical event and help us celebrate Antioch’s 150th Anniversary of Cityhood! A Sesquicentennial Almanac and Commemorative Coin will be available for sale at this event. All proceeds raised at this event go to support the Antioch Historical Society and Museum!

The BBQ will take place on the front lawn of the Museum located at 1500 W. 4th Street, at the end and curve of Auto Center Drive.

For tickets visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/antioch-historical-societys-sesquicentennial-kick-off-bbq-tickets-234060640677

To learn more about Antioch’s Sesquicentennial of Cityhood on February 6, 1872 and see all of this year’s events and activities click here and here.

 

St. Patrick’s Day 2022 flier

Follow the Antioch Rivertown Veterans Lions club on their Facebook page.

To help grant wishes to those in Contra Costa County aged 50 or over who have a serious or chronic illness

By Allen D. Payton

The Antioch-based An Elderly Wish Foundation had a great turnout for their 21st Annual Heart to Heart Gala fundraiser on February 5. This year’s theme was “Fiesta for Wishes” and featured a Mexican buffet dinner and Mariachi band. The event helped raise funds to grant wishes to individuals aged 50 or older who have a serious or chronic illness and live in Contra Costa County.

“The Fiesta for Wishes for An Elderly Wish Foundation on February 5th was a great success,” said Nora von Ubin, Secretary for the organization. “We would like to thank the community for their support and to all who came out to join us, especially our sponsors. Such a generous group of businesses and friends of An Elderly Wish.”

This year’s major sponsors included Preferred Rate Funding and Republic Services, as well as Chuck Hill, Joe and Martha Goralka, and D’Amico Investments.

To raise funds during the event both a live auction and silent auction of donated gift baskets and other valuable items were held, plus sales of mystery envelopes and 50/50 card raffle.

“We cannot thank you enough,” said Executive Director Mary Chapman. “We are ever so grateful for all your support helping us ‘Make Senior Wishes Come True’ in Contra Costa County.”

The organization started in 2000 and has been granting wishes since 2001.

To learn more follow them on Facebook or visit their website where you can read about the wishes that have been granted through the years and you can make a tax-deductible donation at www.elderlywish.org.

Antioch Chamber also announces other awards

Choose Emerald HPC owned by Keith and Iris Archuleta, strategic planning consultants as Small Business of the Year, CoCo Farms cannabis dispensary as Large Business of the Year

By Allen D. Payton

Antioch resident Bob Butler was selected as the 2021 Antioch Citizen of the Year for Most Impact, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce announced, this week. Betty Smith, also an Antioch resident and president of the Rivertown Jamboree, was chosen Citizen of the Year for Lifetime Achievement.

The Chamber also announced the winners of the 2021 Antioch Business, Non-Profit, Student and Veteran of the Year Awards. The winners will be honored at the 2022 Inaugural Gala and Recognition Dinner on March 25.

Bob Butler

Butler, a KCBS Radio news reporter, was honored by the Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch with their Community Service Award, last year, for his volunteer work helping people during COVID. (See related article)

Butler has decades of experience in radio and television news reporting, writing and production.  For over 40 years you may have heard his news reports on KCBS radio networks.

He has taught broadcast journalism at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University and served as President of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Butler, has been helping neighbors during the pandemic by shopping for them. When the pandemic started most of us were worried about going out and exposing ourselves to COVID-19. Going to the store and finding necessary items was getting harder, and the idea of having to bring young children and the elderly was even more worrisome.

At that time Bob stepped up to help. He shopped and delivered items to seniors, people with compromised health issues and parents with small children or children with disabilities and many people who were just too concerned to go out for fear of exposure.

Thinking of others before himself and for his effort we have named Butler the Citizen of the Year with the Most Impact.

Betty Smith

Smith has been a long-time volunteer in the community, leading the Rivertown Jamboree non-profit organization, which previously organized the annual music festival in the city’s historic downtown and more recently, the Delta Thunder speed boat races in memory of the late Councilman Gary Agopian.

Smith hit the community running, as soon as she, her husband, and three children arrived at their new home in Antioch in March of 1984. She commuted to Auburn with the telephone company for three more years, before concentrating on Vancat Enterprises and her family. She wanted her three children taught how to live in a neighborhood. She started by joining Soroptimist International of Antioch, she served on the boards of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, the Delta Learning Center, Metro-One Credit, which is now Travis Credit Union, The Rivertown Jamboree, Delta Memorial Hospital Foundation and Save a Life Sister.

She is still setting an example for her grandchildren by continuing her service in Soroptimist International of Antioch, the Rivertown Jamboree, Delta 2000/Rivertown Resource Center, Luncheon for the Antioch Police Department with the help of Chuck’s Wagon Catering, Saint Anna’s Episcopal Church Bishop Committee and Episcopal Church Women.

Betty said of her service to the Antioch Community, “With tears in my eyes I need to thank all of my family and friends for helping me along the way. I wouldn’t be here without the grace of God and your help. This is to all that have touched my life and my children’s lives. I love Antioch and I tried to plow the fields to make a better place for all.”

The winners of the other awards are:

2021 Small Business of the Year is Emerald HPC and owners Keith and Iris Archuleta, strategic planning consultants.

2021 Large Business of the Year is CoCo Farms cannabis dispensary.

2021 Non-Profit of the Year is the Rotary Club of the Delta (Antioch).

2021 Student of the Year is Gio Terrones of Antioch High School.

2021 Lifetime Veteran of the Year is Tom Menasco.

2021 Veteran of the Year is Gerald “J.R.” Wilson.

The Chamber will also be celebrating posthumously the lives of Antioch music teacher and musician Romano Marchetti and Tom Guarino of PG&E, who did so much for our community through their dedication and service to Antioch. 

This premier event will be held on Friday March 25 at the Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center. If you would like to join in and celebrate with the winners, you can purchase tickets at www.antiochchamber.com.

A request was sent to the Chamber asking for more details about each of the winners, but a response was not received as of publication time. Please check back later for any updates.

Dr. Sean Wright, CEO of the Chamber and Ana Cosovic contributed to this report.

Will match $200,000 in employee and physician donations raised in just two days

Calls on other health care organizations to join the effort

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Kaiser Permanente has launched an employee and physician giving campaign to help with the urgent Ukrainian refugee crisis for physicians and employees who wish to personally support organizations helping with the relief effort, providing refugees with food, shelter, warm clothing, medical care, and supplies. Employees and physicians can choose to support these efforts by donating to any of 3 organizations selected by Kaiser Permanente, and the nonprofit integrated health care organization will match individual donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $200,000.

The program was announced March 1, and in less than two days employees and physicians donated more than $200,000 in relief funds, ensuring the organization will contribute at least $400,000 for Ukraine relief. Donations continue to come in to support the three nonprofit relief organizations included in this matching effort, who are all providing direct aid: Direct Relief, Global Empowerment Mission, and World Central Kitchen. They were chosen based on a successful track record in disaster situations, and all three are on the ground in the region working to assist the refugees.

“Kaiser Permanente’s mission compels us to take action in response to the events unfolding in Eastern Europe. We are deeply saddened for the people in Ukraine, and for the loss of lives, destruction of communities, and displacement of families,” said Greg A. Adams, chair and chief executive officer, Kaiser Permanente. “This worsening humanitarian crisis merits our immediate response. We ask that you join us with your donations and solidarity for the people in Ukraine. This is a moment and cause that connects us regardless of our background or ethnicity. This is a time for unity, and for us to stand together as an industry and as a nation.”

The war in Ukraine already has caused more than 1 million refugees to leave the country and stream into neighboring nations. The United Nations estimates a total of 4 million people will eventually leave the country in the coming weeks. The scale of the humanitarian crisis is expanding significantly, and disaster relief agencies are struggling to meet the needs. While neighboring countries are welcoming the refugees, they are overwhelmed by their numbers.

The damage caused by this conflict continues to change every day. Kaiser Permanente will continue to closely monitor the situation as it continues to develop.

Kaiser Permanente has physicians and employees who have ties to Ukraine, Russia, and other countries in the region. Many of the people in the communities we serve also have connections to those affected by the war. This diversity is a source of strength and provides an opportunity to seek mutual understanding, offer support, and work together for a better future.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.

 

Proceeds from this event will be donated to Community Integrated Support Services, they are a day program for special-needs individuals serving Antioch, Brentwood and Oakley.