Will It Be an Incumbent Sweep? - The Spectrum Magazine

Community Interest
San Mateo Credit Union’s Eighth Annual Backpack
Drive Surpasses Previous Years’ Successes
For the past eight years, San Mateo Credit Union (SMCU) has collected
backpacks and filled them with school supplies for local students. Thanks
to the generous efforts of staff, management and credit union members,
102 backpacks were brought in this year, surpassing all totals for previous
Back2School Backpack Drives.
Children at Fair Oaks, Hoover and Garfield elementary schools were the
recipients of the fully stocked backpacks, which provided all the essentials
necessary to get them off to a great academic start.
“The students are always so thrilled to get the backpacks,” said Richard
Villareal, SMCU’s financial education representative. “The folks who collect
them always make sure to include the latest trends, so we had everything
from Hello Kitty and Paul Frank to bright graphics and basic black. There
wasn’t a single kid who couldn’t find a favorite in the mix. They’re excited
even before they open up the backpacks to see all the supplies tucked inside.”
The backpack drive is just one of the many ways the credit union gives
back to the communities it serves, and employees are always encouraged
to volunteer their time and efforts to assist those who are less fortunate.
Continued Villareal, “By giving of ourselves to help others, we help raise the
level of social and economic well-being, strengthen ties and create a sense of
personal accomplishment. When we reach out to the youngest members of
the community, our hope is to instill values of giving that they will carry into
the future and pay forward.”
About San Mateo Credit Union (SMCU): Founded in 1952, SMCU is
a member-owned financial institution that currently serves more than
68,000 individuals and manages more than $600 million in assets. Eight
conveniently located branches, enhanced by a sophisticated online banking
system, bring a full range of financial services within easily access. For more
information or to locate a branch, visit www.smcu.org or call San Mateo
Credit Union’s Contact Center at 650-363-1725 Monday through Friday, 8
a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Burns Family Gives $1 Million for New Sequoia Hospital
The Burns Family Foundation has pledged $1 million to help build and
equip Redwood City’s new Sequoia Hospital. The gift was made to the New
Sequoia Hospital Campaign, which has raised more than $11.5 million.
The Sequoia Hospital Foundation has enjoyed a longstanding relationship
with the Burns family. In 1996, Harmon Burns, vice chairman of Franklin
Resources and a key owner of the San Francisco Giants, joined the
foundation’s board of directors. Together, Burns and his wife, Sue, were
passionate supporters of Sequoia Hospital and hosted the foundation’s annual
wine auction at their Atherton estate until Burns’ passing. Sue Burns joined
the foundation board in 2007, continuing to host the annual wine auction and
co-chairing the foundation’s annual gala for two years. At the time of her
own untimely passing, Burns was serving as co-chair for the New Sequoia
Hospital Campaign. The Burns’ next generation, daughters Tori and Trina
and son-in-law Robert Dean, have continued their parents’ work, serving as
host of the annual food and wine event and supporting Sequoia’s programs.
In 2009, Dean, an investment advisor and founder of Harmony Capital,
joined the Sequoia Hospital Foundation Finance Committee. In 2010, he was
elected to the foundation’s board of directors.
In honor of this gift, Sequoia Hospital will be home to the Burns Family
Foundation Cardiac Special Procedures Area on the hospital’s first floor.
“Sequoia Hospital has cared for three generations of our family,” noted
sisters Trina Dean and Tori Burns. “We’re proud to publicly recognize the
place Sequoia occupies in our hearts and in our family. We discussed this
gift with our parents while they were with us, and as a family we remain
committed to helping assure other families receive the same care we have
always enjoyed at Sequoia.”
Sequoia is building a new hospital at its historic site in Redwood City,
at the intersection of Alameda de las Pulgas and Whipple Avenue. The
new hospital campus, opening in the winter of 2012, will be a full-service,
148,000-square-foot, four-story building located in the center of the Sequoia
campus adjacent to the existing hospital facility.
Two floors of the new hospital pavilion, approximately 50 percent of the
entire new hospital, will be dedicated to cardiac and vascular services. Plans
for the new hospital also include an inpatient surgery center with two suites
designed to accommodate open-heart surgery and a 16-bed intensive care
unit. Virtually all of the patient rooms will be private rooms and they will
have sleeping accommodations for family members. Key areas of the existing
Sequoia Hospital facility will be renovated as part of the new hospital project,
such as the Emergency Department, the Birthing Center, food services and imaging.
The projected total cost to build the new Sequoia Hospital is $240 million.
This total cost will be met by a collaborative financing plan that calls for
$75 million funded by Catholic Healthcare West, $75 million from Sequoia
Hospital, $75 million from the Sequoia Healthcare District and $15 million
from philanthropic contributions raised by the Sequoia Hospital Foundation.
The Sequoia Hospital Foundation is conducting an area-wide fundraising
campaign with a minimum goal of $15 million.
“This gift is deeply meaningful because it is truly a family gift and
comes out of a deep-seated relationship with all members of the Burns/
Dean family,” commented JoAnn Kemist, president of the Sequoia Hospital
Foundation. “It is heartwarming to witness the spirit of philanthropy passed
from generation to generation and to see Tori, Trina and Robert continue the
support that Harmon and Sue began.”
Sequoia Hospital Foundation Announces New Board Member
Steven E. San Filippo, chair of the Sequoia Hospital Foundation and JoAnn
C. Kemist, president of the foundation, are honored to announce that Lisa
Boohar, M.D., has been unanimously elected to serve a three-year term on
the foundation’s board of directors.
“Lisa brings to our foundation’s board a sensibility and well-reasoned
approach that has already helped to establish her as one of our outstanding
physician leaders within the hospital,” observed Kemist. “Her visionary
passion and energy will serve us well as the foundation evolves to continue
its support of the new Sequoia Hospital.”
“I am truly honored to accept this role with the foundation,” Boohar remarked.
“I believe strongly that a philanthropic partnership between the hospital and
our community is critical for the delivery of exceptional care. I look forward
to working with the foundation and the hospital to help ensure that we
continue to have access to the finest medical services in our area.”
Boohar is board-certified in radiation oncology and currently serves as
medical director of Sequoia Hospital’s Department of Radiation Oncology. A
partner in the practice of Young MD and Boohar MD Inc., Boohar graduated
with high honors from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Her
radiation oncology residency was completed at Stanford University Hospital,
where she served as chief resident. Boohar came to Sequoia Hospital in 2003 and has
been an active and passionate advocate for the Sequoia Hospital Foundation
during her tenure. She has served as co-chair of the foundation’s annual
summer gala for three years and was an active partner in the foundation’s
efforts in support of Sequoia’s new Breast and Diagnostic Center, an integral
element in the hospital’s Women’s Integrated Health initiative. Away from
Sequoia, Boohar is a dedicated volunteer at both Breast Cancer Connections
in Palo Alto and the Second Opinion Tumor Board in San Francisco.
About the Sequoia Hospital Foundation: For more than 25 years the
Sequoia Hospital Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, has
remained dedicated to supporting the life-saving mission of Sequoia Hospital.
Financial support from individuals, families, foundations and organizations
is essential to maintain Sequoia’s ability to offer excellent, state-of-the-art
services and programs. The foundation is proud to use 100 percent of every
dollar donated to support patient care and outreach services, programs and
facilities to keep our hospital strong and our community healthy. To learn
more, please visit www.sequoiahospitalfoundation.org.
KaBOOM! Redwood City Recognized as ‘Playful City USA’
Redwood City is proud to announce that it has earned national recognition as
a 2011 Playful City USA, presented by nationwide nonprofit park and play
advocate KaBOOM! This is a national awards program honoring cities
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