Dancing With the CARS - September 12!

As I'm sure you know, we here at the VMC Foundation like to have a big, formal, opulent gala every fall...except this one.

Oh - we'll have a huge party all right, but it won't be stuffy, or formal. Leave the penguin suit at home and come to the most FUN event of the year: Dancing with the CARS.
Club Auto Sport in San Jose is hosting us, featuring some of the world's rarest and most amazing cars you've ever seen...including my favorite pictured above. Yes, they have a Bugatti there and it's so pretty my knees get weak.

But even if cars aren't your thing, we'll have amazing food by Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (like last year), world-class wine by Burrell School Vineyards (a returning sponsor), fabulous dance music from David DuMont's Li'l Big Band (back again) and something new: Cirque performers to astound and amaze.

And auction items. And prizes. And race car simulators. Kids will even enjoy this party, and in a shocking show of non-stuffyness, we've lowered the ticket price to $149 each - down from previous years, and well worth it for the fun you'll have.

So make plans, and get your tickets here. There are still some larger sponsorship opportunities as well, which could be beneficial to your organization and to the VMC Foundation. Of course, give us a ring at 408-885-5299 with any detail questions.

129 miles and 15 BIG hearts!

In another example of "this is so amazing I'm nearly speechless", I give you this year's Turning Wheels for Kids' DEATH RIDE team!

The team is led by VMC Foundation's Board Chair, Leah Toeniskoetter...she rode the Death Ride three years ago, and has grown the team since then. This year, the group you see will embark on one of the hardest bike rides in the nation: 129 miles, 15,000 feet of elevation change - all in one day. It's not called The Death Ride lightly - Team TWFK is seriously risking a lot by attempting to finish this race.

Why on earth would they do this, other than "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger?" Well, turns out they're all raising money for one of the VMC Foundation's most inspiring program, consider a gift to support the team's amazing ride, which they'll be undertaking this Saturday!

GO Leah, Go Dan, Go John...GO TEAM TWFK!!!

To all giving "Booster Shots"...some national exposure!

Many of you know that we've recently launched a new campaign at the VMC Foundation called Give a Booster Shot. The plan is to encourage employees of the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System to support us, and I've recently been asked how it's going.

Well, how about this:

I was contacted by a corporation called Tonic, whose website is dedicated to spreading "good news" around the globe. The asked me to tell the "Booster Shot" story, which I have done - click here to read just how it's going...you may be amazed.

I know I was.

And if you are a "Booster Shot" donor, congratulations...you have made international news, and given a big bit of publicity to our medical center. Your next task: Help us spread the word and drive traffic to Tonic!

Support VMC the easy way...Rock n' Roll and BBQ!

So, last night's band practice was totally excellent...I know because my ears are still ringing.

We're practicing for the upcoming VMC BBQ, put on annually by your public hospital's award-winning Therapeutic Recreation department. This dedicated crew supports our patients with spinal cord and brain injuries - and their family and friends.

Oh - the band...yes, it's the famous Idol Hands, in which your humble author plays bass guitar. We do blues, rock, R&B...fronted by our amazing singer Veronica Giles, R.N., we provide live entertainment for all the big VMC events...maybe because we play for free.

Come support VMC's Rehab Center, National Parks and Recreation Month, and the Idol Hands Band:

Thursday July 9, 11:30 - 1 (ish)
Valley Medical Center's Rehab Lawn, Bascom at Renova
BBQ, live music, games, prizes and fun
Five Dollars for lunch, rehab patients FREE

This great mid-day, mid-week escape is open to the public...tell a friend or two and come on down!

Deep cuts to the County Budget - it's happening now

Typically I like to use this space to tell you some good news, or uplifting information. Today, I'm afraid, not so much.

Today is the day our county will decide on some of the most drastic cuts we've faced - it's happening now, and so this is getting to you a day later than I'd like...but you may have seen the editorial in yesterday's Mercury News that outlines what we're all facing:

Half of the county's regional public health nurses — gone. These are the people who, among other things, make sure expectant mothers get prenatal care and that TB cases are properly managed.

Transitional beds for people recovering from mental illness — gone. Drug and alcohol treatment programs designed to keep people working — gone.

After eight straight years of budget deficits, there's no obvious fat left to trim. Programs once seen as bare essentials will be dramatically curtailed.

Please read the full editorial here. this nightmare would have been worse had the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System not worked with Deloitte to find $60M worth of savings and efficiencies...but it's bad enough, and there's little our county leaders can do about what they must do today.

...and, depending on what happens at the state level with California's budget crisis, this may not be the end of this story. Watch this space.

Protect children's health in Califirornia!

In my spare time (ha!) I serve on the board of directors for the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation, which helps fund the "Healthy Kids" program for our county. You may know that Santa Clara County was the FIRST in the nation to ensure health coverage for all kids.

That's all at risk now.

We knew this fight was coming with our state's budget mess, and fortunately we have an army of fighters. One is Dr. Heidi Roman, a pediatrician at Valley Medical Center. Her article in today's Mercury News says it so well...in part:

I understand that California legislators face an exceptionally complex and difficult task in balancing the budget. Yet elimination of Healthy Families is not only morally reprehensible, it is fiscally irresponsible. The state currently receives 2-to-1 matching funds from the federal government to administer Healthy Families. This money would be lost. In addition, we know that lack of health insurance leads to poorer health and increased future reliance on the state in the long term.

Read the full article here, and let's hope the Governor does the same.

Turner turns golf into GOLD!

Turner is a big company with a big heart: Founded in 1902, they build schools, airports...and of course, medical centers!

For the last dozen years or so, Turner has also been supporting the VMC Foundation with their annual golf classic. This is a fun way for the Bay Area team and their subcontractors and partners to raise funds while proving that they spend more time working than playing golf...yes, there was some bad golf played this week at Oakland's Claremont Country Club, led of course by your Hacker-in-Chief, me.

No matter - at the evening banquet, the VMC Foundation was presented with a BIG check - $58,000, which is the most Turner has ever raised for us in one year. We are absolutely thrilled about this, so please help me give a shout-out of thanks to Kevin Antonelli and his great Turner team for all they did to make this day happen.