The Junior Seau Foundation presented a $250,000 check to the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) to launch the Junior Seau Foundation Adaptive Surf Program. Junior Seau was an avid surfer, and his legacy will live on through this life-changing program that will provide access to surfing for kids with physical challenges.
The partnership with the Junior Seau Foundation will support CAF’s mission to give people with physical challenges the opportunity to pursue an active lifestyle, in this case, surfing. These funds will purchase surfboards, wave skis, beach wheelchairs, gear and a custom trailer for equipment. It will also provide coaching and travel grants for challenged athlete kids to participate in multiple annual kid’s surf clinics and camps per year.
This program seeks to develop youth adaptive surfers, stimulate the surf industry to evolve and create adaptive equipment, establish educational programs in surf schools and include adaptive surfing divisions in competitions. Ultimately, from a young age, adaptive surfers will dream to compete at the sport’s highest stage as surfing aspires to become a Paralympic sport.
Michael Kinkelaar, executive committee director of the Junior Seau Foundation, said the Foundation believes that “Junior himself would be very happy with this gift to fund this innovative program.”
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Chelsie Power was presented the 2016 ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship in the amount of $2,500 at the San Diego Police Foundation’s annual Women in Blue luncheon.
“With this scholarship, ESET is taking another step forward in its longtime support of women in technology,” said Celeste Blodgett, vice president of human resources at ESET North America. “Chelsie is an outstanding example of the next generation of talented cyber defenders, and we are thrilled to support her as she pursues her cybersecurity higher education.”
A recent report by Raytheon Co. and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications found that a majority of both male and female students are not being exposed to the possibility of jobs in this industry. What’s more, the percentage of women in information security jobs is declining. ESET is an advocate of exposing a diverse set of students to cyber careers early on and providing resources to help with cybersecurity experience and educational attainment.
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Sharp HealthCare is the latest San Diego organization to join Wreaths Across America San Diego to honor and remember veterans at local cemeteries. Sharp HealthCare contributed $5,000 to sponsor wreaths for the events at Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemeteries and Greenwood Memorial Park.
WAA is dedicated to spreading its message about the importance of remembering our fallen heroes, honoring those who serve, and teaching our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms. Visit waasandiego.com.
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Paul Downey, president and CEO of Serving Seniors, has been unanimously elected by his peers to chair the California Commission on Aging (CCoA) for a one-year term.
Under his leadership, Downey, the first chair from San Diego, will focus his efforts on improving senior nutrition and poverty. This includes working to increase the state match for funding the Older Americans Act senior nutrition programs and subsidies to build affordable housing for seniors. In addition, the CCoA will work to raise awareness on ageism and create a better understanding of older adults’ needs and contributions to society.
The unprecedented demographic shift of aging baby boomers requires strong leadership to enhance advocacy efforts through legislation and policy to effectively meet the needs of older adults.
Send Kudos/Giving items to sglidden@sdbj.com.