December 11, 2003


AVAC raises $22,238 for Hospice of the Valley

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

True to their word—and then some—Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC) presented Hospice of the Valley with a check for $22,238.60 on Dec. 9. The proceeds were the result of the club’s successful “Celebration of Life” event held throughout October during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

“It was for a good cause and we were very happy to be able to do this event and have Hospice of the Valley be the recipient of these dollars,” admitted AVAC co-founder Joe Shank. “Our goal was $20,000 and we exceeded that by about 10 percent. It was an effort by our entire staff. I’m really proud we were able to help Hospice as it affects all of us at some time. Many of our staff has been touched by Hospice of the Valley and that’s why they were chosen as the recipient of these dollars.”

“This has been an extraordinary event and a tremendous boost for us in terms of fund-raising,” said Hospice of the Valley Community Relations Liaison Jeanne Wun. “The money will definitely go toward caring for the families during difficult times.”

In return, Hospice of the Valley presented AVAC with a plaque honoring its commitment to the charity. “We are honored by what you’ve done for us and what you’ve done for our patients,” said Executive Director Sally Adelus. “To Joe, JoAnn, the staff and the members of AVAC, we are greatly in debt to you for this money that you’ve given us today. It’s going to be used to help many of our hospice families, our patients and also in grief support.”

“This money is going to go above and beyond what we anticipated this year,” added Adelus. “We are going to be able to use it for some very much-needed programs.”

In addition to “Celebration of Life,” AVAC’s first event raised over $17,500 for the Twin Towers Orphan Fund after the events of 9-11. Looking forward, Shank plans to continue the tradition each year. A heart patient himself, his top choice for next year’s fund-raiser will revolve around organizations that deal with heart disease. Although a portion of the proceeds will be promised to Hospice of the Valley for assisting terminal heart patients, the lion’s share is forecast to benefit the American Heart Association.

“I think we can continue to get better in raising money for these organizations,” says Shank. “We always give back to the community and this one was very close to home.”