Point Loman tapped for United Way board
The United Way of San Diego County has appointed two community leaders to its board of directors, including Point Loma resident Kathleen Sellick.
Sellick, who currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Rady Children’s Hospital, has more than 20 years of experience in a senior executive position at medical centers in California and Seattle.
According to United Way officials, this will help ensure the organization’s support of programs and services that benefit all San Diegans.
Joining Sellick on the county United Way board will be Lorena Gonzalez, who serves as secretary-treasurer for the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
“It is important to enlist experienced professionals to our board as United Way leads collaborative efforts to create lasting, visible change in the community,” said Doug Sawyer, president and CEO, United Way of San Diego County. “Kathleen’s solid leadership experience and Lorena’s strong ties to San Diego complement the talents of our other board members.”
Sellick joined Rady Children’s Hospital in June 2006. Before that, Sellick served six years as executive director of the University of Washington Medical Center, where she successfully transitioned the bone marrow and stem cell adult patient units from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to the University of Washington Medical Center.
Sellick also led the senior leadership team in reorganizing the key functional areas in the center to help it obtain the highest operating margin in its history.
Tiki Lounge 2008 to
benefit Druck Foundation
The Thursday Club Juniors of San Diego will host a “Tiki Lounge 2008” benefit event for the Jenna Druck Foundation (JDF) at its Point Loma clubhouse on Friday, March 7.
The younger branch of the Thursday Club organization, the Thursday Club Juniors is made up of 25- to 45-year-olds who work to help many of San Diego’s charities.
The JDF, founded in 1996 to honor the memory of Jenna Druck, an inspirational young woman, has two programs, one that assists people through grief, periods and another that offers leadership training and opportunities to San Diego’s young women.
The JDF organization held its annual leadership conference for young women on March 1 at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Friday’s event at 1224 Santa Barbara St. will benefit and help develop a virtual community for JDF’s Families Helping Families, along with JDF’s unique grief program which provides a healing community, access to grief resources and counseling for those in need.
“We’re hoping to raise $30,000,” said Thursday Club benefit chairwoman Michelle Brega. “A lot of times these family members are up in the middle of the night and need someone to reach out to. A virtual bereavement community can give them that and online counselors.”
“Tiki Lounge 2008” will be a tropical evening of food, music and a live and silent auction, with all proceeds going to a charitable cause. Joe Rathburn’s Island band will play and food will be provided by Gringo’s, Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza, the French Gourmet, World Famous, Karl Strauss Brewery and Sushi on a Roll among others. Tickets for the 6:30 to 10 p.m. event are $75 and are available online at www.thethursdayclub.org/foundation. For more information, call (619) 225-5722.
OB, Pt. Loma students fare well in competition
The math team at Francis Parker Middle School fared well in the countywide MathCounts competition recently, notching a seventh-place finish.
The competition was held Feb. 9. The competition consisted of three rounds of primarily algebra and geometry with an emphasis on problem solving and quick thinking. The middle school trains students by meeting once or twice a week at lunch.
“We have a large math team, but only eight kids can go “¦ There are four on a team and four work as individuals,” said math teacher Christi Cole, one of the two math team coaches. “We were just out of the trophy round.”
MathCounts is a national competition and is the most rigorous math contest in the county for that age group.
The eight students who competed and will receive certificates for their achievement were Neil Kumar, Gautam Soundararajan, Jenn Nugent, Everett Waterman, Emily Bohl, Alec Heifetz, Marc Pelessone and Savannah Benes.
Help sought for Famosa Slough cleanup Saturday
Volunteers are being sought to join the Friends of Famosa Slough in a morning cleanup at the salt marsh wetland on Saturday, March 8 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The cleanup involves planting and caring for California native plants, the removal of invasive exotic plants and litter removal.
Volunteers are urged to wear work clothes, preferably long-sleeved shirts and long pants, sturdy shoes and gloves. Participants are urged to bring gardening/weeding tools or clippers, although refreshments, some tools and gloves will be provided.
Participants under the age of 18 must have the signature of a parent or legal guardian.
The gathering point for the event will be at the southeast corner of West Point Loma Boulevard and Famosa Boulevard in the Ocean Beach/Point Loma area.
For more information, call (619) 224-4591, or visit www.famosaslough.org.
Point Loma facility
enlists new landscaper
ActivCare at Point Loma, a residential Alzheimer’s care community, will enlist Benchmark Landscape, Inc., to provide its future landscape upkeep. As a member of the Health Care Group of San Diego, the facility is a unique residential community for those affected by Alzheimer’s Disease or other associated dementia.
“We’ve been hired to perform landscape maintenance by the Health Care Group for five of their properties around San Diego County”¦ ActivCare is one of the five properties,” said Craig Mohns, Benchmark vice president.
The contract with Benchmark will supply the facility with ongoing maintenance of the current grass, flowers, shrubbery, and walkways and handle replacement installments.
Bird watchers and nature lovers are being invited to join Friends of Famosa Slough in a bird-watch event at the salt marsh wetland on Saturday, March 15 at 1 p.m..
The free event involves what is being called “an easy walk with good views of a variety of birds and salt march habitat.”
Group members said that now is the time to look for migrating shorebirds and ducks.
Participants are asked to bring binoculars or share a pair and gather at the first bench on Famosa Boulevard south of the intersection with West Point Loma Boulevard.
For more information, call (619) 224-4591, or visit www.famosaslough.org.