Richmond Yacht Club reaches out to charities
Chris Treadway
BAY AREA NEWS GROUP
10/16/2010 06:16:44 PM
The Richmond Yacht Club followed through on its commitment to assist local charities, presenting checks that represent the proceeds of its Richmond Riviera Regatta to four organizations Wednesday at a special membership dinner.
The regatta and related benefit events in August brought in $25,000 that was divvied up between the Bay Area Rescue Mission, the Richmond Emergency Food Pantry, Rubicon Programs and YES (Youth Enrichment Strategies).
"This check is going to go a long way to helping people in great need right here in Richmond," said John Anderson, executive director of the Bay Area Rescue Mission, adding that the funds will help provide a good portion of the 24,000 meals the mission will serve at its annual Thanksgiving banquet.
YES provides weeklong summer camps for inner city children and their families, and the yacht club donation will cover the cost of 66 camperships, including food, lodging and transportation, said executive director Eric Aaholm.
The donation to the 39-year-old Richmond Emergency Food Pantry is timely, said longtime volunteer Robin Gillies, because the organization is distributing a weekly average of 300 food packages, and funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has already been exhausted.
Rubicon will use its donation to "help about 50 families who are homeless in Richmond" by providing training needed for sustainable employment, said president and executive director Jane Fischberg.
Past regattas had been held to benefit the Stanford Medical Center, but membership voted to focus on local needs this year. "This whole thing is about weaving the community together," said RYC member Scott Gordon, who proposed and organized the fundraiser. "This yacht club can't be an island. This yacht club is part of the community and I'm glad we reached out."
