Turkey Trot 2010: Guest Blogger Tim Rogers

Three fellow co-workers and I paid to get up before the sun, drive to Dana Point’s coastal breezy 40-some degree weather and run 6.2 miles this past Thursday. It seemed like a good idea at the time. What started as an enthusiastic but dreamful suggestion from our office manager to assemble a team to run Dana Point’s annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 10k turned into a blast e-mail, was picked up by the staff fitness and running aficionados and turned into a reality within a few hours.

Loving the idea, I was the initial communication behind it. I had never run a race before, but I do boxing and had plenty confidence in my ability to finish a 10k. Hitting a bag for an hour seemed physiologically analogous to a light jog for the same amount of time. Besides, I had made November “community service month” and needed something solid for the last week that didn’t have to do with food distribution (which I had done twice already earlier this month). Running a 10k that benefited the Second Harvest Food Bank seemed appropriate and made me feel better about the obscene amount of over-eating that would commence shortly thereafter.

When my alarm went off at five o’clock I was only mildly annoyed considering my sister, home for the holiday, decided to start singing show tunes at 1:30 a.m. in the room next to mine and my Dad somehow managed to sleep through the living room television blasting the theme song of MASH at an hour I can no longer coherently recall. A nice warm shower perked me up but stepping outside and taking a breathe of piercingly cold air woke me up all the way. We rendezvoused at my house a few minutes before six o’clock and started our drive to Dana Point Harbor.

The sun was waking up about the same time we arrived and I had been given strict orders in the car to interrupt any awkward conversations that could theoretically arise from other running acquaintances that could show up to the race, but I was a little more concerned with getting the feeling back in my fingertips. Walking to the starting line we were greeted by one of those morning people who were all too happy to speak into a microphone and keep the crowd entertained for hours. Leaving our swag bags, sweatshirts, warm up pants and any other shred of additional warmth with our office manager’s husband, we began to warm up. They stretched their calves, I threw some 1-2-slip-slip combinations… I hadn’t actually been running in two weeks.

We put ourselves in the third wave of the race, accidentally clustering ourselves with parents pushing strollers, people dressed as pilgrims and the elderly. So naturally the first mile and a half of the race involved a lot of darting, weaving, dodging, passing and getting nicked on the heels by stroller wheels. I managed to regain feeling in my fingertips by the mile two sign and once we spread out, I really started enjoying myself. The sun was out, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, I could no longer see my own breath taunting me, the lady dressed as a turkey seemed quite hilarious now and my pugilistic-based, cardiovascular conditioning was serving me very well. The rest of the race was smooth and pleasant and what more, they had delicious pumpkin muffins and water waiting for us at the finish line. I felt quite accomplished when I realized it wasn’t even 9 a.m.

I tried looking up how much the event raised. I couldn’t find it. But I know there were at least a few thousand people there who each paid $40 (or so) to run. The 2008 Turkey Trot raised over $40,000 and I imagine this year was at the very least comparable. And once the initial abrasions were over, it was really a lot of fun. In fact, we decided our next stop is the Huntington Beach Half Marathon in February!

It was a great idea at the time and an even better one afterward.

County of Orange Certificate of Recognition

Samuel Han, staff member of Supervisor Shawn Nelson, presents Boys Hope Girls Hope of Southern California with a Certificate of Recognition for its efforts in the community!  

We were very excited to have Samuel Han join us at our Extreme Makeover Home Edition Red Carpet Premier and appreciate Supervisor Nelson for choosing our organization! 

Fritz Duda Sponsored Red Carpet Event: Guest Blogger Carly Petrie

My name is Carly Petrie and I am currently in my last semester at California State University, Fullerton, majoring in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.  My capstone class for Public Relations this semester entailed a group project that required a team of six to work with a non-profit client for the semester.  While my team of six came together to work with each other as a team, we were each instructed to come with up three different non-profits for our group to pick which one they preferred to work with most.  My list of non-profits were not three, it was just one, Boys Hope Girls Hope.  I chose to just put down the one non-profit Boys Hope Girls Hope because I had volunteer for their golf tournament fundraiser twice before and was well informed on such a great organization.  After our group of six met together for “team time” everyone else fell in love with the decision to work with Boys Hope Girls Hope.  To us, Boys Hope Girls Hope is such a great organization that impacts each of our lives because in the end, we each want to succeed and receive an education.  Overall, it was through California State University, Fullerton that we chose to get involved with Boys Hope Girls Hope but after experiencing a majority of the semester working with them, it doesn’t end here for us. 

As a team project helping promote Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Red Carpet Event at Lido Theater, our experience with Boys Hope Girls Hope was extremely successful.  We put our heart into the event because we believed in it so highly, the more we learned about BHGH and the more we got to know the scholars in the program.  As a team we set goals to help put on a successful event and everyone in the team was designated their own roles.  Our work entailed anything possible that would get the word out about the event and also to any sponsors who would help donate to the event.  Our work entailed an article that ran in the Orange County Register, graphics for the poster and fliers distributed for the event, graphics for the tickets used for the event, sponsors for after the event which entailed food and refreshments, a photographer, guitar player for entertainment, and recognition from Sam Han, District Representative for Supervisor Nelson.  

At the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Red Carpet Event, our team took away the greatest fulfillment anyone could ask for.  After helping out for a non-profit such as Boys Hope Girls Hope you take away with you the greatest gratitude for each of the scholars involved in the program.  Once we personally met the scholars we felt a deeper connection with them.  Each of the scholars are so different in their own way and they each leave behind an impression on you.  Whether it is their talent to their personality, they each have strong qualities that leave you with the biggest smile on your face.  What I took away from Boys Hope Girls Hope is that no matter what your circumstances are, still be proud and true to yourself and you can be as successful as you want to be.   

The CSU Fullerton Student Public Relations Group with BHGH Executive Director Robin Sinclair

Glittery and delicious cupcakes donated by Jen at All That Glitters Cupcakes

The County of Orange recognizes Boys Hope Girls Hope for its efforts in the community!

Wahoo's Fundraiser December 13, 2010

Mark your calendars, grab your friends and share a meal (or meals) while investing in our community.  Pass the word (and this flyer) along to everyone you know and join Boys Hope Girls Hope as we raise awareness of our mission to encourage today's youth to strive for their dreams.  Also, a special thanks to Wahoo's for opening their doors to our organization.  BHGH could not exist without the help of generous sponsors within the community.

Be sure to bring in a copy of this flyer with you so that they know you're with us!

Wells Fargo Sponsored Thanksgiving Feast

As the holiday season begins, the Boys Hope Girls Hope of Southern California staff, board, volunteers and students are finding more and more reasons to be thankful. This past Sunday, Wells Fargo and two of our AmeriCorps Volunteers, Tim and Katie, put together a Thanksgiving feast, where the Boys Hope Girls Hope family reflected on the year’s progress and blessings.

The Boys’ Home was overflowing with excitement as we shared food, conversation and laughter. Eyes watered and hearts swelled when two of our scholars performed a stunning rendition of “The Prayer,” originally sung by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. BHGH supporters of both the past and the present reconnected and reminisced about the memories once shared inside and outside the home.

Especially in these times of hardship, it is the warmth, comfort and inspiration of a family that allows one to persevere and strive for a brighter future.

We would love to share this experience with you.

Our scholars and staff at the Thanksgiving Feast!