MAMA’S DAY MAKES $175,500 TO FEED AIDS, CANCER CLIENTS
The 24th annual Mama’s Day 2015 on May 8 raised $176,500 for Mama’s Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers hot, nutrition-specific meals for free to people affected by AIDS or cancer throughout San Diego County.
The money raised will provide 57,680 home-delivered meals for Mama’s Kitchen’s clients.
An estimated 750 people attended the food and wine event held at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, featuring more than 55 of San Diego’s top restaurants and executive chefs. Sam “The Cooking Guy” Zien returned for the seventh consecutive year as the event’s culinary host, entertaining VIPs at a private pre-event reception. Zien performed a cooking demonstration at the special reception with a hosted bar.
“An amazing night was had by all spotlighting our organization and mission,” Alberto Cortés, executive director of Mama’s Kitchen, said in a statement. “I would like to thank the volunteers, sponsors, guests, donors and Mama’s Kitchen staff for their support in fulfilling our mission of providing nutritious meals for San Diego’s critical ill.”
Guests sampled an array of entrees, beverages and desserts, and also bid on an extensive silent auction. The best-selling auction items included a private dinner with Sam “The Cooking Guy” and a skybox for 20 guests at Petco Park. Mama’s Day 2015 was presented by Nordstrom and hosted by Sycuan Casino.
NORTH PARK COACH HONORED FOR 60 YEARS OF SERVICE
Councilmember Todd Gloria recognized longtime North Park Little League Coach Joe Schloss with a day in his honor on May 16 with a ceremony at Morley Field, where 88-year-old Coach Joe has dedicated his time to teaching baseball to local youth for 60 years.
The San Diego Chicken and representatives from County Supervisor Ron Roberts’ office and the North Park Little League also participated.
Coach Joe’s coaching has positively impacted his players and helped them learn integrity and the importance of physical activity. A World War II Navy veteran, Coach Joe has also owned A-B Sporting Goods in North Park for decades and raised his family in the neighborhood. He has vowed to keep coaching baseball for many more years.
FREE SHUTTLE DURING LUNCHTIME IN HILLCREST
A free, lunch-hour shuttle service in Hillcrest, launched May 18, connects major employers like UC San Diego Health System as well as residents and visitors.
Aiming to reduce traffic congestion and parking challenges, “The Park Hillcrest Lunch Loop” runs Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The 10-minute loop will make four stops delivering riders within footsteps of 50 Hillcrest eateries.
Riders use the Park Hillcrest mobile app to follow the trolley on its route and discover restaurants, parking tips, pricing and locations.
The Uptown Community Parking District, in partnership with UC San Diego Health System and the Hillcrest Business Association, is behind the shuttle service. Visit parkhillcrest.com for more information.
TIMKEN MUSEUM OF ART WINS ENERGY-SAVING AWARD
U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy on May 19 awarded the Timken Museum of Art with the 2014 EPA Battle of the Buildings Energy Star award.
The museum, located in San Diego’s historic Balboa Park, is being recognized for reducing its energy use by more than 50%, preventing more than 80 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the environment.
As part of its effort to reduce energy use, the museum converted 50-year-old light fixtures to advanced LED lighting and installed new timers, dimmers and sensors.
More than 5,500 buildings across the United States competed in the fifth annual Energy Star Battle of the Buildings: Team Challenge.
The museum’s efforts support the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), which identifies measures to effectively meet greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2020 and 2035. Energy and water efficient buildings are one of five strategies listed under the city’s CAP to achieve the targets. Other strategies include increasing clean and renewable energy, zero waste and climate resiliency.
TAIWAN MOVIES FEATURED AT MOPA
The second annual Taiwan Cinema Spotlight, a partnership between the Taiwan Academy, Pacific Arts Movement and the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA), opens May 28.
The annual program at MOPA focuses on a different aspect of Taiwanese cinema each year.
This year’s Taiwan Cinema Spotlight focuses on Hou Hsiao-hisen, who Village Voice critic J. Hoberman hailed as the world’s greatest working narrative filmmaker. The three-film retrospective “Growing Up With Hou Hsiao-hsien” looks at the theme of coming-of-age, especially important in a nation where “growing up” has been such a politically and socially fraught subject in the past half-century.
The three featured films in this year’s program are:
“Dust in the Wind” (1986) on May 28 at 7 p.m.
“Daughter of the Nile” (1987) on May 29 at 7 p.m.
“Millennium Mambo” (2001) on May 30 at 5 p.m.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit mopa.org/hhh.
ANGELIKA FILM CENTER & CAFÉ TO OPEN IN SAN DIEGO
The Angelika Film Center & Café, a state-of-the-art boutique cinema that is a cultural icon in New York City, will open its first West Coast complex by late summer at Carmel Mountain Plaza.
Angelika is dedicated to offering patrons provocative and engaging film programming — from independent, foreign and specialty movies to the best commercial products from the major studios. The luxurious cinema, to be located along the I-15 corridor at Carmel Mountain Road, will have 12 auditoriums and feature full VIP recliner seats in a stadium setting. Visit AngelikaFilmCenter.com/SanDiego for more information.
SERVING SENIORS RAISE RECORD-SETTING $460,000
Serving Seniors (servingseniors.org) raised $460,000 at its annual “Experience of a Lifetime” gala on May 7. Monies raised will provide 184,000 meals through the agency’s nutrition program, which nourishes thousands of low-income and homeless seniors in San Diego County.
The amount is the largest total raised at an individual fundraising event in the organization’s 45-year history.
Sponsored by Sempra and SDG&E, “Experience of a Lifetime” provided nearly 300 attendees with wine tastings from premier wineries across California as well as a charcuterie and locally sourced canapés, while listening to live music and bidding on silent and live auction items. An opera duet transitioned guests from cocktails to dinner where Del Mar Country Club Executive Chef Tommy DiMella created an exclusive menu with fine wine pairings, also inspired by The Californias.
Prior to the sit-down dinner, there was a special VIP reception to honor seniors who had touched the lives of the event guests and sponsors. The honoree champion was Deborah Szekely, the founder of The Golden Door and Rancho La Puerta, who was recognized for inspiring others through her volunteer activism, as well as embracing wellness long before it was popular.
UPDATE ON PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT
The University Avenue Pipeline Replacement Project is now underway on Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest, between Robinson Avenue and Washington Street.
Workers will install new water pipelines along Fifth Avenue and Washington Street, starting May 26.
During construction, temporary inconveniences will occur.
Limited access within the immediate work zone will be granted.
There will be pipe, fittings, equipment and storage containers staged along the work zone.
Road closures, detours and restricted access will occur between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.