Caring Communities, Part 2

Second Members Giving Back Update of 2012

By: Celine Todd
Published July 17, 2012

This is the second article of 2012 in the “Members Giving Back” series, through which we’ll feature just a small sampling of the wonderful volunteer work being done by Members at the Trilogy communities each quarter.  This issue will highlight Trilogy groups that are making a difference by filling grocery bags, sporting the latest fashions, proudly displaying their patriotism, and more!  Thank you to all of our generous Trilogy Members!

Trilogy at Vistancia
Vistancia Members have spent the spring and summer generously donating their time, energy, and goods/funds to a number of wonderful causes.  Just a few of their efforts are highlighted below.

In the spring of 2012, Trilogy volunteers picked 57,800 pounds of citrus for St. Mary’s Food Bank.  An average of 28 volunteers each week dedicated an afternoon to pick citrus from residential properties in Sun City and Sun City West.  This citrus picking effort, which was organized by Trilogy at Vistancia’s Wings at Work service group, took place weekly throughout the citrus harvest season, from mid-January until mid-April. The grapefruit, oranges and tangelos were donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank.  In addition, Wings at Work collected just over $1,500 in donations from the owners of the citrus trees that were picked.  St. Mary’s asks each resident to donate $15 per picked tree.  Over the last two years, Trilogy citrus gleaners have picked 97,270 pounds (49 tons) of fruit and collected close to $3,000 in donations for St Mary’s Food Bank.  St Mary’s juices the citrus to help feed hungry families.  If you live at Trilogy at Vistancia, consider joining this group next year, as they are on a roll to beat all kinds of records with their volunteer efforts - and they have great fun doing it! For more information about this project, contact Colleen Golomski or Nancy Nettleton, whose contact information can be found in the Member Directory of MTL.

Also this past spring, Wings at Work organized the annual Food for Kidz food packaging event - and thanks to the generosity of the Trilogy at Vistancia Members, it was their most successful event to date!  On March 13th, 160 volunteers packaged 101,000 meals (40% was give to Arizona food banks, and 60% was distributed to others in need) and raised $17,295 in donations.  Over $5,000 of their donations were raised through the silent auction of items that were donated by the Trilogy at Vistancia community.  The Food for Kidz Committee would like to thank all residents that donated time and money to package the meals.  They would also like to acknowledge the Peoria Fire Department, volunteers from Kohls Department Store, Trilogy and the fabulous staff that helped set up and tear down the event, the City of Peoria that donated $1,000 through Council Member Cathy Carlat’s office, and businesses and community members that donated items to the silent auction.  Over the six years that this event has been conducted at Trilogy, Food for Kidz has raised over $70,000 and packaged close to 700,000 meals to feed hungry children and their families.  Click here to view details of the event, including pictures of the food packing process.

The Trilogy at Vistancia Women’s Club (TAVWC) held their annual Purses and Toiletries Drive for the women of Faith House, a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, in April.  They delivered new and gently-used purses filled with all kinds of useful toiletries (for both women and children) to Faith House on Mother’s Day, making this day a bit brighter for women in crisis.  The next great effort of the TAVWC is a Backpack and School Supply Drive for the children of Faith House.  Their goal is to send these kids to school with the supplies they need to start the year off right!  Trilogy at Vistancia Members can help by donating school supplies such as binders, paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.   Please drop off your contributions in the big pink bin located in the Kiva Club Library or bring a check or cash to the table during Happy Hour (now through August 9th).  The TAVWC will be delivering the school supplies and backpacks to Faith House on August 11th, so please get your donations in as soon as possible.  Thanks for your generosity and your support!

Trilogy at the Vineyards
This past spring, the Trilogy at the Vineyards community raised an incredible $12,400 for the National Brain Tumor Society through a number of different community-wide efforts.  Trilogy Member Karen Eagan organized the “Friends of Ridge” fundraising group in honor of her late husband, Ridge, who lost his fight to Glioblastoma Multiforme on November 2, 2011.  Karen and Ridge both strongly believed that Ridge was able to live abundantly three years after diagnosis because of the medicines that research had provided.  Karen encouraged her fellow Members to give the gift of hope for a cure through research with their generous donations to the National Brain Tumor Society.

Karen recently sent the following message of thanks to her fellow Trilogy Members:

Thank you one and all who participated and supported our efforts to generate funds for the National Brain Tumor Society.  You will be pleased to know that the Friends of Ridge did indeed make a difference in the fight against brain cancer.  We raised $12,400!!   Thanks again to Joel (Reger, Director of Resort Operations for Trilogy at the Vineyards) and his team for all the help in putting our event together in April, for everyone's participation at the event, and for the subsequent support and further donations.  By the way, the Friends of Ridge were recognized at the annual National Brain Tumor Society Walk on May 5th, in front of the crowd of 2,300 participants, as being the #4 greatest fund raising team for the San Francisco Walk!  Way to go!

With deeply heartfelt thanks,
Mrs. Ridge Eagan

If you would like to contribute to the National Brain Tumor Society through the Friends of Ridge, please visit www.braintumorwalk.org/bayarea.  Click on the green "donate to a participant" button, then on next page enter "Ridge Eagan."  Then follow the prompts when his name and the team name come up.  Whether you choose Ridge or the Friends of Ridge team, the funds will all go to the same place.  Thank you for your generosity!

Trilogy at Redmond Ridge
The Trilogy at Redmond Ridge community has been busy, busy, busy bringing the community together to support local children in need.  At the end of June, the Pat Harris Trilogy Guild hosted an “All-You-Can-Eat BBQ and Barn Dance Hoedown,” led by Washington’s most popular caller, Kappie Kappenman, to raise money to support uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital.  The Redmond Ridge Members had a ball with square, round, and two-step dances, as well as prizes, cakewalks, and a 50-50 raffle.  To top it off, the BBQ dinner of brisket, pulled pork, barbecue chicken (and more!) was finger-licking good.  Best of all, funds were raised for Seattle Children’s Hospital.  To see what a special place this hospital is, click here to view the "Stronger" video on YouTube (with over 2 million hits) featuring the kids, parents and staff in the hematology/oncology ward.

The Redmond Ridge members have some more wonderful plans in the works to give back to their community in August and September.  First, spread the word to your friends and neighbors: Trilogy for Kids is hosting its Annual Benefit Gala on Saturday night, August 18th!  The fundraising festivities will begin on Thursday, August 16th with a raffle, silent auctions and make-a-bid section, and will culminate in the big gala “Cirque de T4K” on Saturday night, featuring an appetizer and wine party. Services, activities, and new and almost-new items will be offered through a combination of a make-a-bid auction, a raffle and three silent auctions. With the help and support of the Trilogy Redmond Ridge community, the Annual Benefit Gala will be Trilogy for Kid’s biggest fundraising activity of the year!  Starting on July 17th, members will be able to sign up at the Member Services Desk for the appetizer and wine party; cost is $15 per person. No sign-up or fee is required to participate in the auction.  Between now and the annual gala, there is a lot you can do to help Trilogy for Kids with the auction. You can donate new items, or even like-new things around your house that you no longer use.  Donations must be received by July 31st. You can assemble a gift basket of goodies to be auctioned.  You can consider teaching a skill, sharing a service (pet sitting, round-trip ride for 2 to the airport, window washing, etc), or donating tickets to an event.  Or, you can fund and/or coordinate an activity (e.g., wine tasting event, hot air balloon ride) that can be auctioned. No gift is too small or too large.  The generosity of the Trilogy community has enabled Trilogy for Kids to support The Boys and Girls Club of Redmond/Sammamish, Camp Korey, Eastside Academy, Eastside Domestic Violence Program, Friends of Youth, Little Bit Riding Academy, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Page Ahead, Kiwanis Camp Casey, and Ryther this year.  Please contact Pat Stevens or Julie Steele (contact information is listed in the Member Directory) to make a pledge or to discuss what you can donate.

Then, just a week later, members of the Neighbors Helping Neighbors group of Trilogy at Redmond Ridge, along with many Trilogy volunteers and several surrounding communities, are having a huge Food and Fundraiser Drive to benefit the local Hopelink Food Banks.  They’re hoping that every Trilogy household will place a generous amount of donated food (boxed or in bags with handles) on their front porch by 9am on the morning of August 23rd.  The donations will be collected by over 100 Trilogy at Redmond Ridge volunteers and will serve to re-fill the shelves of the Hopelink Food Banks.  Items that are especially in need include: Canned fruit, tuna, chicken and other canned meats; canned vegetables; all kinds of soups; 100% canned/bottled fruit juices; cereals of all kinds including oatmeal and cream of wheat; spaghetti and other pastas; rice; peanut butter; canned tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce; and macaroni and cheese.  Cash donations for a “Children’s Milk Fund” are also needed. Those who would like to donate can make their check payable to Hopelink and leave their donation at the front desk of the Cascade Clubhouse.  Neighbors Helping Neighbors and Hopelink thank you in advance for your generosity!

 

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