November 22, 2007

Silicon Valley CEOs become elves

Race through aisles to fulfill children’s holiday wishes

Imagine the scene: top Silicon Valley CEOs and their executives racing through the aisles of Target tossing toys in shopping carts for low-income boys and girls, elbowing the competition in a timed race…and then pulling out their personal checkbooks to pay at the cash register. The annual CEO Shopping Challenge, held at the start of the holiday season, is a huge benefit to local nonprofit The Family Giving Tree.

“We are so grateful for the competitive nature of our CEO supporters,” laughs the Family Giving Tree’s Queen Elf Jennifer Cullenbine. “This event is extremely important to our organization and to the low-income children we serve with our Holiday Wish Drive.”

Five Silicon Valley CEOs will race in a timed shopping spree to purchase holiday gifts for low-income children throughout the Bay Area. Children have submitted their wishes to The Family Giving Tree, a nonprofit organization that strives to improve the quality of children’s lives by raising gifts personally selected by each child.

The CEO Shopping Challenge, in its third year, has become a spirited Silicon Valley tradition. CEOs spend their own money, and the event has provided more than 9,000 gifts since 2005.

The need is great. The Family Giving Tree hopes to fulfill 70,000 total gift requests this year, 2,000 more than 2006. Nearly 32 percent of all wishes submitted are specific requests for “basic needs” --i.e. winter jackets, warm socks, pajamas, etc.

The race will be held Friday, Nov. 30 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Target Store at San Jose Market Center, 533 Coleman Ave. Participating CEOs include Ed Colligan of Palm, Inc., Bo Ewald of Silicon Graphics, Brian Halla from National Semiconductor Corporation, Jen-Hsun Huang from NVIDIA Corporation and Tom Steipp from Symmetricom, Inc.

The challenge will begin at 9:20 a.m. and end 25 minutes later when all of the purchases will be rung up and tallied. The results will be announced at 10:45.