Thank You for Another Successful "Drive for Charity"
Your driving did more than just get you where you needed to go on November 19 – it benefitted local charities too! Thanks to everyone – all 26,731 of you – that drove South Bay Expressway on our 2nd Birthday – your support is appreciated! Take a look at how your trips made a difference!
South Bay Community Services & Casas Seguras
South Bay Community Services helps over 50,000 individuals and families annually in South San Diego County and we were more than happy to help them, help others. Your trips purchased over 12,000 Kirkland diapers from our community partners at Costco, Rancho Del Rey. That’s a lot of diapers!
Diapers, which many might take for granted, are inaccessible to some South County parents and South Bay Community Services is there to provide them to those in need. We were so proud to help support such an important program!
South Bay Family YMCA
South Bay Expressway supports the YMCA because they turn no child away from activities so donating to the Y was important to us. The YMCA Sport Complex was in need of some chairs that will be used at their facility in Eastlake that serves kids, teens and their families throughout all of San Diego County. Once again, our friends at Costco, Rancho Del Rey helped us to deliver 85 folding chairs to help a organizations that helps so many others. Tina Williams, Executive Director of South Bay Family YMCA said,
“On behalf of the South Bay Family YMCA staff, families, volunteers and Board of Management, I’d like to thank South Bay Expressway for helping us, help others, through your $1,500 donation for 85 folding chairs. You make our days easier. You make it possible for our South Bay Family YMCA to stand behind our pledge to not turn any child, teen, adult or senior away for lack of funds. From the bottom of all of our hearts, and the 40,000 hearts that our South Bay Family YMCA touches a year, thank you.”
We’re extending that Thank You to you, our FasTrak Customers!
The Chula Vista Nature Center
Wildlife, nature and adventure are right in your back yard! As an internationally recognized zoo and aquarium, you get can up close and personal with endangered Green Sea Turtles, shorebirds, hawks, sharks, stingrays, jellyfish and native plant life to name just a few at the Chula Vista Nature Center.
Coastal resource conservation is more important now than ever and with the cooperation of partners like SBX and all of our FasTrak Customers, we can help to accomplish their goals in education. Information about the Chula Vista Nature Center’s mission happens though school field trips, guided walks, classes, tours and special projects. We’re proud to underwrite an educational activity book, Nature Center Adventures! that will be used for guests of the Nature Center. Completion even earns you a “Junior Conservationist” certificate! Be sure to stop by and take a look for yourself!
The San Diego Food Bank
Another organization that we chose to support with “Drive for Charity” was the San Diego Food Bank. They’ve been around helping to provide food to people in need since 1977 and have partnerships with over 400 San Diego County non-profit charities. They distribute nearly 14 million pounds of food each year to help alleviate hunger. Wow! 14 million pounds is a lot and getting the food to hungry people is no easy task. Once the food makes it to their warehouse, that’s just the beginning! From there all food needs to be sorted and checked for quality – all with the help of their volunteers and we think they have some of the best!
Food Bank Board CEO Scody Hage said, “We are so grateful to South Bay Expressway for making such a generous donation to the San Diego Food Bank. Since every dollar donated provides three meals, this will mean we can provide 4,500 additional meals to the community. That means a child, senior citizen or person in need will not have to go to bed hungry. Supporting the Food Bank will be critical this year with demand continuing to soar. We are feeding more people than ever before, but it is due to the help of organizations like South Bay Expressway that we are able to meet the increased need.”
Thanks for helping us to help the San Diego Food Bank keep moving, and keep helping!
Hi-Tech High’s “Project Z”
Everyone is “going green” – even Hi-Tech High! Picture this – converting an old, gas-guzzling 1976 Datsun 280Z into a modern, environmentally friendly, electric car! South Bay Expressway was proud to present Hi-Tech High with a check for $1,000 to help with their “Project Z” program.
Through the project, students will learn more than just one subject – how about math, science and engineering skills, but they’ll also be working on ways to help our planet in the future! Look for Hi-Tech High’s “Project Z” in the South County community events and San Diego’s Earth Day Festival!
Keep track of their progress by vising their blog by clicking here.
Eastlake High School Band
A new flat-bed golf cart for the Eastlake Band is music to their ears! The Eastlake High School motto is “Where’s today’s learning shapes tomorrow’s success,” and we couldn’t agree more! The band has been borrowing golf carts from the various departments and has needed one to call their own so that they can transport equipment for field shows and events. So much goes into putting together a show – lots of work – you can’t just arrive and play! The arrangements and shows are meticulously practiced and often times, the band is restricted by a time limit to enter and exit the field and a golf cart will help to always get there where they need to be on time – kind of like South Bay Expressway!
We’re so happy to help provide this necessity to an already great program!
Eastlake Little League
Youth sports are important to us just like we know how important they are to our FasTrak customers and their families in the South Bay. Eastlake Little League is 100% self-funded and receives no money from San Diego County like many other Little Leagues. Just like the YMCA turns no child away, we’re proud that the sponsorship money we’ve provided to them for the upcoming season will help not only operate the League, but also keep fees low so that every child that wants to, can play baseball. Facilitating over 500 South Bay families - you sure hit a homerun in helping the Eastlake Little League!
The Academic Decathlon
Add together 500 high schools and 13,000 students originating from 42 counties and districts and what do you get? The Academic Decathlon, of course! You thought that was a hard equation but local high school students are preparing for much harder ones!
On Saturday, February 6, 2010, the Academic Decathlon will be held at Olympian High School, an event many students prepare for all year. The Decathlon tests and rewards academic strengths on both the team and individual level in ten events: six written tests in music, art, language and literature, mathematics, economics, and social science, three communications tests in the form of an interview, an essay, and a prepared and impromptu speech. Students will be put to the test all day! All the hours of studying and preparing before, during and after school will pay off!
Becoming a sponsor for the Academic Decathlon was a question that was a no-brainer!
Scholarships for Local High Schools
Wow! Your trips on November 19 are really making a difference in South County for some great charities. In addition to all the specific organizations you’ve just read about, we’ve also chosen to offer five local high schools with $1,000 scholarships for graduating seniors. Eastlake High School, Olympian High School, Otay Ranch High School, Bonita Vista High School and Mater Dei High School will each receive $1,000 that will go to a graduating senior for their higher education.
For information on how a high school student you know can apply, have them visit the Counseling Office at their high school. Way to go Class of 2010 – you’re almost there!
We might be partial but we think we have the best FasTrak customers around – even the best in California! A big thanks to everyone who participated in our “Drive for Charity.” Our support means so much, has and will impact so many.
South Bay Residents Enjoyed Sweet Treats Around Town
Like last year, we celebrated our Birthday the traditional way – with Birthday cake! Our community partner, Henry’s Farmers Market in the Village Walk at Eastlake helped us serve customers with a sweet treat! SBX Chief Accounting Officer, Theresa served cake and got to chat with customers during the week of our birthday. Thanks to Henry’s and to everyone who stopped by to celebrate with us!
SBX Birthday Blood Drive
The last birthday event we held was just as much a success as the others! With our partners, Otay Ranch Town Center, Radio Sophie @103.7 and the San Diego Blood Bank, we were able to have a successful blood drive – collecting over 30 pints of blood! Thanks to everyone who donated blood!
The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others is easy and the need for blood never stops. Visit the San Diego Blood Bank online today to see how you can help and find locations where you can donate!
