Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

Success & Service: Cancer fund at Turlock's Emanuel exceeds its $4 million goal

A three-year drive to fund Emanuel Medical Center's cancer endowment easily surpassed the $4 million goal, officials at the Turlock hospital announced. Legacy Circle, the hospital's fund-raising organization, raised $4,360,760 for the endowment. That means it will be fully funded to provide education, activities and screenings at the regional cancer center, said John Gilbert, Emanuel's assistant vice president of physician relations and marketing. The drive began in 2007 and received $1 million from the Ahlem family and $400,000 from an anonymous donor.

In addition to the 1,200 employee and community pledge cards turned in over the past weeks, Emanuel Medical Center's Volunteer Auxiliary presented a $100,000 gift to Legacy Circle for the endowment.

The Volunteer Auxiliary comprises 800 volunteers who donate more than 67,000 hours of service annually to the hospital. The group has given nearly $1.5 million to Legacy Circle's fund-raising efforts since 1999. This year's gift to Legacy Circle was funded by Emanuel's gift shop, which is managed by the group of volunteers and Life Line, an emergency response service for seniors.

Modesto's Bill Lyons Jr., a former state secretary of food and agriculture, has been appointed to the California Chamber of Commerce's board of directors.

Lyons, 59, heads his family's 86-year-old Mapes Ranch farming and cattle operation that covers 8,000 acres west of Modesto. He was appointed to the state food and ag post in 1999 by then-Gov. Davis and held it for five years. He's also been president of the Western Association of the State Departments of Agriculture, and received numerous awards and honors by various agriculture-related organizations.

He is on the Doctors Medical Center board and served as president of the Modesto Irrigation District board and the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau.

Wells Fargo Bank recently donated a pair of foreclosure homes to Habitat for Humanity, Stanislaus. Both houses — a 2,300-square-foot house in Turlock and a 900-square-foot home in Modesto — were abandoned by their owners and taken back by the bank. They were vulnerable to squatters and vandals.

Habitat will be able to put qualified buyers into these homes, while remodeling them for energy efficiency. The agency builds homes and remodels others that it sells to qualified partner families who must commit to doing 500 hours of work on these homes or construction sites and will pay the entire cost of the home through zero-interest loans.

The organization is looking for first-time home buyers who live in Stanislaus County and are interested in owning one of these homes or ones in other Habitat projects. Call 575-4585, ext. 111, for information about orientation sessions.

A number of Stanislaus County-based law enforcement officers received 10851 Awards, given to them for their efforts in the fight against stolen vehicles.

Among the honorees noted for recovering stolen vehicles that were occupied, often leading to arrests, as well as vehicles that were abandoned:

Modesto police officers Todd Musto, Mark Ulrich, Cameron Cromwell and Sgt. Rick Applegate.

Ceres police officer Jason Brock.

Turlock police officers Neil Raumann and James Brewer.

CHP officers Richard Kennell, Aaron Keller, Mayolo Banuelos, Dan Balos, Greg Bennett, Bryce Disch, Brandon Moore, Shane McConnell, Jon Peregoy and Bill Walton.

The CHP developed the 10851 Awards Program — named after the Vehicle Code (10851) for grand theft auto — to recognize the superior efforts made by CHP and allied law enforcement personnel who have met specified criteria toward the reduction of stolen vehicle crimes.

Submit news of awards and achievements for this column to local@modbee.com.