SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Happenings

These boots were made for walking

Nan Nasser

Do you remember the song These Boots Were Made for Walking? Well, polish off your boots and sneakers and get ready for the nineteenth annual SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Walkathon to be held Saturday, October 24 beginning at 7:30 a.m. with warm-ups in the HOA1 parking lot, a walk around Ridgeview and ending with a warm breakfast back at the SaddleBrooke Clubhouse.

The breakfast menu is still being finalized and will determine the cost of the entry. That cost includes a tee-shirt and the breakfast (the tee-shirt is your ticket to the breakfast). For those opting for a shorter route than the Ridgeview Circle, there will be a different walk up to the commercial center and back. For those who would like to attend but not walk, that is also an option!

Pets on leashes are encouraged! Water stations and golf cart emergency transportation will be available, Vital Moves will conduct warm-up exercises, Grand Marshals will be introduced and raffle prizes will be available.

Save the date! All proceeds from the annual event are dedicated to programs of SBCO which include Kids’ Closet, Teen Closet, educational opportunities and support of the Tri Community Food Bank.

Left to right: Rich Roberts, Rebekah Masuch (Meat Manager), Elvia Colores (HR representative) and Joan Roberts; photo by Ken Siarkiewicz

Left to right: Rich Roberts, Rebekah Masuch (Meat Manager), Elvia Colores (HR representative) and Joan Roberts; photo by Ken Siarkiewicz

Annual Appreciation event

Nan Nasser

On Monday, April 13 SaddleBrooke Community Outreach held its annual Appreciation Program honoring special groups and volunteers who have made a difference in the lives of the neighboring needy children we service through our various programs.

This year SBCO has honored a team at the Walmart Neighborhood Market at Magee and Oracle in Oro Valley for their support of our Holiday Food Basket program. Traditionally SBCO has assembled up to 35 Thanksgiving food baskets for families in the Oracle area who have been identified as in need. The Walmart Team offered to provide us with turkeys and other perishable food items at a reasonable price and even stored the products until Joan and Rich Roberts could pick them up just before Thanksgiving.

This fall activity has been chaired by the Roberts, assisted by several volunteers and welcomed in our neighboring community. Rebekah Masuch, Meat Manager at Walmart and Elvia Colores, the Walmart Human Resources representative, were present to receive the plaque honoring their store and employees for outstanding support of our program.

Thank you to Walmart for making a difference in the lives of our neighbors. Did Rebekah say she could get us 50 turkeys next year?

The Master Board at the Cancer Fundraiser

The Master Board at the Cancer Fundraiser

MPWGA “Take a Swing at Cancer” event raises $15,800

The MPWGA could not have asked for a better outcome of our annual Cancer Fundraiser. For the first time we supported all cancers and had a beautiful six foot tall Take a Swing at Cancer Ribbon at registration. People were asked to put the name of a family member or friend on one of the various colored ribbons and attach it to the master board. By the time lunch came it was covered with names and support for all cancers.

We had the support of the Men’s Golf Association during the Bubba Hawkins on February 12 where we had both a live and silent auction of a few men-related items. With the date so close to Valentine’s Day we also brought in roses to the dinner/dance. Four hundred roses went very quickly! It was a great jump start to our main event on March 3. Thank you, guys!

The Take a Swing at Cancer event was chaired by Kim Seales and a very dedicated group of volunteers who made the event very successful. Lee Rock and her team headed up the auctions, raffles and selling of roses. The important people, though, were our members, friends, neighbors and businesses that supported and contributed to the event as well as those that participated in the golf tournament and luncheon.

After a fun filled golf tournament, with perfect weather and over 100 participants, we were treated to a great luncheon and table upon table of silent auction and raffle items. And, when we tallied up the events, we had one of our best fundraisers ever. The amount of $15,800 has been sent to the University of Arizona Cancer Center. Once again, thanks to all of you. We could not have done it without your support!

Full view of the 2015 car

Full view of the 2015 car

Mustang Raffle

Nan Nasser

The 2015 Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition car was on display at the April shredding event in SaddleBrooke. You have an opportunity to buy a raffle ticket for this car from SaddleBrooke Community Outreach! There are only 1,965 of these cars produced and Ford Motor Company has provided one to the Jim Click Automotive Team.

There will be 300 Tucson charities selling tickets for the car and SaddleBrooke Community Outreach has been offered the opportunity to be among the 300. SBCO has 200 tickets priced at $25 for one ticket or five for $100. SBCO will keep 100% of the proceeds to support our programs which include Kids’ Closet, Teen Closet, education and food support for needy children in neighboring communities.

Rumors circulating around the car were that it would ultimately be worth $300,000. Now, they were rumors, but do you need to help a child get a college education? Help our kids, dream about this great Mustang, and possibly own a bit of history. Tickets are available at Suite L in the commercial center (Monday through Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) or visit our website www.community-outreach.org. Is a road trip in your future?

Left to right: SBCO Treasurer Anne Everett with Volunteer of the Year John Young; photo by Ken Siarkiewicz

Left to right: SBCO Treasurer Anne Everett with Volunteer of the Year John Young; photo by Ken Siarkiewicz

Volunteer of the Year

Nan Nasser

At the annual Appreciation Program of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach held on April 13, John Young was recognized as Volunteer of the Year for his many years of service on the Finance Committee of SBCO. John first became treasurer of SBCO in 2003 and for the last 12 years has provided all kinds of financial support from simply paying bills to overseeing audits and reviews, working with insurance companies, assisting with budgets and keeping us safe.

And he continues to assist the treasurer on a regular basis, providing much continuity to our operations. As an avid golfer, he happily says he plays golf on any day that ends in y, so if you see him on one of our courses thank him for his dedication to SBCO.

If you see him retrieving lost golf balls, do know that they are recycled providing funds that support programs of SBCO like Kids’ Closet, Teen Closet, educational opportunities and support of the Tri Community Food Bank.

Arthur Posner gives check to SBCO President Joan Roberts

Arthur Posner gives check to SBCO President Joan Roberts

Gift from the Treats and Talents Auction

Nan Nasser

The annual Treats and Talents Auction held March 11 raised enough funds to support SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, IMPACT, Youth on Their Own and several science projects in neighboring schools. Co-chair Arthur Posner presented a check for $6,000 to SBCO President Joan Roberts as part of the proceeds from this popular local event.

This gift will be used to support programs of SBCO that benefit needy children in neighboring communities. That includes clothing, education opportunities and food programs. A new pilot program will be launched this summer that will target 50 youngsters in the Mammoth Community by providing food bags during July into August to supplement what they do receive from the Food Bank.

After eight years this was the final auction, co-chaired by Arthur and Ann Vernon. It was a wonderful event enjoyed by many in the SaddleBrooke community and has provided many organizations with funds to continue or add programs for needy neighbors. SBCO is grateful for all who support the Treats and Talents Auction!