Big Event Weekend Coming UP!

Save The Dates...our Health Weekend, ExtremeHealthWeekend.com is starting to take shape. All kinds of events with Saturday devoted to walk, run, and events...culminating in the quest for the World's Largest Zumba Class...then on Sunday...all day with bike and biking events...with a long ride and some great events. Mark your calendars...Oct 1st and 2nd, 2011. Plan on it...and we need volunteers.

United Way Extreme Health Weekend Oct 1 and 2, 2011

Extreme Health Weekend in Redding, CA Oct. 1 and 2, 2011
Posted on May 10, 2011 by Ron Largent
As some of you may know, the United Way is going to be having a Special Event, a Health Weekend, that we are calling “Extreme Health Weekend”. We are just in the planning stage…and the ideas below are ideas that have been presented so far. We intend to make this a huge community-wide event…and if the subject is Health…or even directly or indirectly connected to Health, we want it as part of the weekend. Some of you are involved in the subjects listed below, or know of someone that should know of this event…thus this initial e-mail.
Here is what we are thinking of, based on what we have heard, etc…we will talk this through on Wednesday….and you are invited to our planning meeting to be held at our office at 4 PM Wednesday. We hope to keep it an hour meeting…and hope you can attend….and if you can’t, please pass the word. Event Coordinator will be Marlene Woodard.
Saturday:
competitive run for adults
fun run for adults and children
children’s fun run
Baby strollers race
cross country meet at Lake Redding-Caldwell Park
completive walk for adults
fun walk for seniors
pancake breakfast
Frisbee contest
volleyball tournament
ping pong tournament
softball tournament
gymnastics event
lacrosse event
soccer event
dance classes demonstration
vendors with all kinds of health related subjects
Lectures and presentations on health subjects
Nutrition classes,seminars, and presentations
Subjects for Seniors and Health
Medical, and medical related classes, seminars, and presentations
Zumba Class to set world record (Guinness)
Street Dance
Sunday
Bike race for “roadies”.
bike rides for all in all classes….for children, youth, and adults
seminars and vendors dealing with bikes and biking
wrap up Luau at Win River with Dance Contest
For info or to reserve a vendors or presentors space, call 530-241-7521, ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org
www,norcalunitedway.org

Extreme Weekend In Redding, CA Oct 1 and 2, 2011

Extreme Health Weekend in Redding, CA Oct. 1 and 2, 2011
Posted on May 10, 2011 by Ron Largent
As some of you may know, the United Way is going to be having a Special Event, a Health Weekend, that we are calling “Extreme Health Weekend”. We are just in the planning stage…and the ideas below are ideas that have been presented so far. We intend to make this a huge community-wide event…and if the subject is Health…or even directly or indirectly connected to Health, we want it as part of the weekend. Some of you are involved in the subjects listed below, or know of someone that should know of this event…thus this initial e-mail.
Here is what we are thinking of, based on what we have heard, etc…we will talk this through on Wednesday….and you are invited to our planning meeting to be held at our office at 4 PM Wednesday. We hope to keep it an hour meeting…and hope you can attend….and if you can’t, please pass the word. Event Coordinator will be Marlene Woodard.
Saturday:
competitive run for adults
fun run for adults and children
children’s fun run
Baby strollers race
cross country meet at Lake Redding-Caldwell Park
completive walk for adults
fun walk for seniors
pancake breakfast
Frisbee contest
volleyball tournament
ping pong tournament
softball tournament
gymnastics event
lacrosse event
soccer event
dance classes demonstration
vendors with all kinds of health related subjects
Lectures and presentations on health subjects
Nutrition classes,seminars, and presentations
Subjects for Seniors and Health
Medical, and medical related classes, seminars, and presentations
Zumba Class to set world record (Guinness)
Street Dance
Sunday
Bike race for “roadies”.
bike rides for all in all classes….for children, youth, and adults
seminars and vendors dealing with bikes and biking
wrap up Luau at Win River with Dance Contest
For info or to reserve a vendors or presentors space, call 530-241-7521, ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org
www,norcalunitedway.org

Huge Garage sale at Hartnell Mini Storage

Huge Garage Sale at Hartnell Mini Storage
Posted on May 7, 2011 by Ron Largent
Spread the Word, and Save the Date…next Saturday, May 14th….huge Benefit Garage sale at the Hartnell Mini storage at 1391 Hartnell, just east of Churn Creek Road. Bring your items for donation…or come and by at this huge garage sale.
Lots of items, lots of opportunity….call us for details at 241-7521. www.norcalunitedway.org

Save the Date

www.extremehealthweekend.com…Save The Date


Save the date…October 1st and 2nd….. www.extremehealthweekend.com
This will be a fun and very active weekend. Decided to add a Frisbee contest, along with a Skateboard contest…and interest is building. Let me know if you can help; want to be a vendor; want to be a participant, etc.

And, the interest in the Zumba Class going for the World Record….and looks like we might have a hula dance contest at a Sunday Luau to conclude the weekend….

United Way Extreme Health Weekend

It is official...our Health Weekend in Redding and the north state will be on October 1st and 2nd...and will be called United Way Extreme Health Weekend...culminating in the Zumba Class to go for the World Record. We need volunteers for every event....so call us at 530-241-7521 or e-mail or Facebook us....www.norcalunitedway.org

United Way Extreme Health Weekend

It is official...our Health Weekend in Redding and the north state will be on October 1st and 2nd...and will be called United Way Extreme Health Weekend...culminating in the Zumba Class to go for the World Record. We need volunteers for every event....so call us at 530-241-7521 or e-mail or Facebook us....www.norcalunitedway.org

The Aftermath of a Tornado

Yesterday we had the chance to view some of the areas that were in the tornado path through southern Georgia. Over the years we have had the chance to live in various places, both here in the US and overseas. We have lived with complete snow caused shutdowns in Virginia and Ohio, fire threatened areas in California, and flash flood prone sections of Arizona and Texas. But, we have never lived in an area that was in a "tornado alley"....thus this is the first time that I have ever seen first hand the damage from a tornado....and it was almost shocking. When you see it on the news, you see the devastation and hear the families talk about how they lost their homes and belongings and in some cases family members...but to see it first hand is another experience. And, to see it from a real estate point of view is also astonishing, for not only do you have to re-build, but there is an entire process of demolition and removal that is both time and money consuming.

We heard of various areas where the tornados, and apparently there were a number of them spawned over a 12 hour period that moved from eastern Alabama into southern Georgia, and decided to see for ourselves the damage. In Griffin, about 10 miles from where Carrie lives, and a relatively large rural county seat, the tornado moved from west to east in about a 1/4 mile wide span in semi built up areas of farms, homes, and commercial areas located about 2 miles south of the Atlanta Motor Speedway. This particular storm area was the one that we drove through in the early morning hours after arriving late at the Atlanta airport, where we encountered downed trees and power lines and homes crushed by falling trees, but could not see the extent of the damage due to darkness. What we saw yesterday was along Highway 19 and extended from collapsed and crush commercial warehouse areas to a mobile home park with various degrees of total damage. Roofs were completely ripped off and scattered along the debris filled highway. I got a video of folks walking through the remains of what were office buildings and shops, with nothing but debris and trash left. Just amazing.
We continued on with our other activities for the afternoon and then we heard about some of the other areas, where a complete subdivision south of Griffin was hit, and had since been closed off, and the stories continued. The storm had really taken its toll....property and lives lost over a couple of hours due to a storm that no one has any control over. A new experience for me...and a new appreciation for what I will see in the future on the news shows, for we just saw the real aftermath of a terrible tornado storm. Hope I never have to go through one, or see one again.

Yesterday we had the chance to view some of the areas that were in the tornado path through southern Georgia. Over the years we have had the chance to live in various places, both here in the US and overseas. We have lived with complete snow caused shutdowns in Virginia and Ohio, fire threatened areas in California, and flash flood prone sections of Arizona and Texas. But, we have never lived in an area that was in a "tornado alley"....thus this is the first time that I have ever seen first hand the damage from a tornado....and it was almost shocking. When you see it on the news, you see the devastation and hear the families talk about how they lost their homes and belongings and in some cases family members...but to see it first hand is another experience. And, to see it from a real estate point of view is also astonishing, for not only do you have to re-build, but there is an entire process of demolition and removal that is both time and money consuming.

We heard of various areas where the tornados, and apparently there were a number of them spawned over a 12 hour period that moved from eastern Alabama into southern Georgia, and decided to see for ourselves the damage. In Griffin, about 10 miles from where Carrie lives, and a relatively large rural county seat, the tornado moved from west to east in about a 1/4 mile wide span in semi built up areas of farms, homes, and commercial areas located about 2 miles south of the Atlanta Motor Speedway. This particular storm area was the one that we drove through in the early morning hours after arriving late at the Atlanta airport, where we encountered downed trees and power lines and homes crushed by falling trees, but could not see the extent of the damage due to darkness. What we saw yesterday was along Highway 19 and extended from collapsed and crush commercial warehouse areas to a mobile home park with various degrees of total damage. Roofs were completely ripped off and scattered along the debris filled highway. I got a video of folks walking through the remains of what were office buildings and shops, with nothing but debris and trash left. Just amazing.
We continued on with our other activities for the afternoon and then we heard about some of the other areas, where a complete subdivision south of Griffin was hit, and had since been closed off, and the stories continued. The storm had really taken its toll....property and lives lost over a couple of hours due to a storm that no one has any control over. A new experience for me...and a new appreciation for what I will see in the future on the news shows, for we just saw the real aftermath of a terrible tornado storm. Hope I never have to go through one, or see one again.

My Trip to Atlanta

I made it to Atlanta...but as we were coming into the Atlanta airport....a severe weather front hit the area and tornado warnings went off. Winds at the airport were 38 knots and maximum landing was 33 knots. We were diverted to Augusta, GA....where we sat on the ground for almost 2 hours, refuled and finally got into Atlanta 4 hours late...but made it. Then, started seeing the tornado damage on the outskirts of Atlanta....first time for me. A lot of damage....and some lives lost...but we were all safe. Quite a flight and a day, to say the least.

United Way Health Weekend...We Need a Name

On October 1 and 2, 2011…United Way is having a special weekend event, a Health Weekend. Walking, running, biking, and all kinds of activities, vendors, a Zumba contest, street dance, food, and a lot of fun. We need a name for the weekend. Something that will fit with Live United….Live Healthy, etc……submit some names and the winner will get credit for creativity.

www.norcalunitedway.org

ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

Reding Christian Fellowship Easter Musical This Week

This coming Thursday and Friday evenings at 7 PM, the Redding Christian Fellowship Church, 2157 Victor Avenue in Redding, just south of Highway 44, the Church Choir, Orchestra, Drama Team, and Soloists will be presenting their Annual Easter Celebration program. This "always sold out" event is well worth attending, as the Hallelujah selection is one of the best that I have been part of in years. Great traditional numbers all with a contemporary flair...and this musical event will be a highlight of the Easter Celebration in the Redding and Shasta County area. Here is some detail, but come early for seats, and no admission charge...a nice change for a change when it comes to musical events.

"Hallelujah, He Did Just What He Said"
When Thursday and Friday April 22 and 23rd, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Where 2157 Victor Ave., Redding, CA 96002 (map)

Reach out to our community and invite your friends and family to our musical presented by our choir and orchestra. What a great way to start your Easter weekend! What a great way to introduce someone to the true meaning of Easter. No tickets are needed.

Shasta Symphony Concert this Sunday

This is going to be an outstanding concert….and having played in many over my long career as a band and orchestra musician, this is one of the finest volunteer orchestras I have ever played in. This concert, featuring the outstanding and world renowned pianist Ned Kirk….is going to be a concert worth going to…hope you can make it, and here at the details:

Shasta Symphony Orchestra – Heroic Impressions
Sunday, April 17 at 3:15 P.M.
Shasta College Theatre
Admission is $10 for General, $8 for Student/Seniors and $5 with Simpson or Shasta College Student I.D.

Visions of fairies, emperors, Caesars, and ancient European cities will dominate this concert. Opening with the bold and poignant Fanfare from ‘La Peri,’ the brass will set the stage for a royal tour of Europe. Beethoven’s seminal “Emperor” piano concerto will be performed by internationally-known, yet locally rooted, pianist Ned Kirk. The full orchestra will take over with a colorful interpretation of ancient Rome with Respighi’s masterwork, Fountains of Rome.

Shasta Symphony Concert this Sunday

This is going to be an outstanding concert….and having played in many over my long career as a band and orchestra musician, this is one of the finest volunteer orchestras I have ever played in. This concert, featuring the outstanding and world renowned pianist Ned Kirk….is going to be a concert worth going to…hope you can make it, and here at the details:

Shasta Symphony Orchestra – Heroic Impressions
Sunday, April 17 at 3:15 P.M.
Shasta College Theatre
Admission is $10 for General, $8 for Student/Seniors and $5 with Simpson or Shasta College Student I.D.

Visions of fairies, emperors, Caesars, and ancient European cities will dominate this concert. Opening with the bold and poignant Fanfare from ‘La Peri,’ the brass will set the stage for a royal tour of Europe. Beethoven’s seminal “Emperor” piano concerto will be performed by internationally-known, yet locally rooted, pianist Ned Kirk. The full orchestra will take over with a colorful interpretation of ancient Rome with Respighi’s masterwork, Fountains of Rome.

Some Advice for us "Older Folks"

Some Advice for us “older folks”
Posted on April 14, 2011 by Ron Largent

My friend, and at times almost a mentor, Lou Tice…sent me this a few days ago. It is so good, and so true, as I see as I work with some of our agencies who work with Seniors.

If you’re interested in living to a ripe old age, I have some information about aging and attitude that may surprise you.

Several studies of people who are older, who have lived far beyond the norm in the United States, indicate that attitude seems to play an important role. I’m not saying that there is anything like a “longevity personality.” Living to the ripe old age of 100 seems to happen to selfish, cantankerous people as often as it does to those who are quiet and kind. But there does seem to be a common thread, and it is a sense of self-sufficiency.

The oldest of our senior citizens all seem to have a strong attachment to freedom and independence. They tend to dislike and avoid constraints and they value their autonomy highly. What’s more, most of these old-timers are also people who enjoy life. They have a high degree of realistic optimism, a definite sense of humor, and they respond to simple pleasures, seeing beauty where others only see ugliness. They are also extremely adaptable and resilient. Most of them had been hit hard by the Great Depression, but they recovered to build new futures. And while many of them cherished childhood memories, all of them preferred living in the present with its many changes.

In a nutshell, these studies found that attitude seemed to outweigh physical characteristics and what these folks thought and felt was more important than what they ate or how long their parents had lived.

So if you want to live a long, happy life, consider keeping track of your attitude as well as counting your calories and cholesterol.
Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com

Some Advice for us "Older Folks"

Some Advice for us “older folks”
Posted on April 14, 2011 by Ron Largent

My friend, and at times almost a mentor, Lou Tice…sent me this a few days ago. It is so good, and so true, as I see as I work with some of our agencies who work with Seniors.

If you’re interested in living to a ripe old age, I have some information about aging and attitude that may surprise you.

Several studies of people who are older, who have lived far beyond the norm in the United States, indicate that attitude seems to play an important role. I’m not saying that there is anything like a “longevity personality.” Living to the ripe old age of 100 seems to happen to selfish, cantankerous people as often as it does to those who are quiet and kind. But there does seem to be a common thread, and it is a sense of self-sufficiency.

The oldest of our senior citizens all seem to have a strong attachment to freedom and independence. They tend to dislike and avoid constraints and they value their autonomy highly. What’s more, most of these old-timers are also people who enjoy life. They have a high degree of realistic optimism, a definite sense of humor, and they respond to simple pleasures, seeing beauty where others only see ugliness. They are also extremely adaptable and resilient. Most of them had been hit hard by the Great Depression, but they recovered to build new futures. And while many of them cherished childhood memories, all of them preferred living in the present with its many changes.

In a nutshell, these studies found that attitude seemed to outweigh physical characteristics and what these folks thought and felt was more important than what they ate or how long their parents had lived.

So if you want to live a long, happy life, consider keeping track of your attitude as well as counting your calories and cholesterol.
Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com

Kool April Nites in Redding, CA

Kool April Nites is Here…Join In!
Posted on April 8, 2011 by Ron Largent

The Greater Palo Cedro Area Chamber of Commerce will once again bring beautiful classic cars to the east valley from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday, April 11, 2011, for the 11th Annual Show n’ Shine located at Allen & Dahl Funeral Chapel parking lot on Deschutes Road in Palo Cedro.
Over 30 trophies to be awarded by local businesses including East Valley Times—”Peoples Choice” and Best of Show sponsored by the Chamber.
Great raffle prizes that includes a vintage 1938 replica pedal car.
There is no entry charge for patrons to the event and only $5 for show car entries (first 100 entrants receives a bag filled with items from chamber members). Call 547-4554 for more information or to pre-register your show car call 547-2266. Money collected goes back into the community through several charitable events and programs.

Donor and Donor Fatigue

Donors Still Eroding, But Gifts Getting Larger

While revenue held steady at many of the major, national nonprofits during 2010, the erosion of the donor base continues, with those staying behind adding to their donations and making up the losses.

The average donor tracked by the index gave a median 1.69 gifts in 2010 with the median revenue per donor being just $59.

That among the findings of the latest Target Analytics donorCentrics Index of National Fundraising Performance. For the 12 months ending in the fourth quarter of 2010, Target Analytics evaluated direct response giving transactions of 83 organizations, including more than 39 million donors and more than 81 million gifts totaling over $2.5 billion.

Revenue growth for the index was essentially flat in 2010, increasing by a median 1 percent from 2009. Just over half of the organizations in the index had revenue increases year over year, according to the index. Of the eight sectors in the index, three (animal welfare, international relief, and societal benefit) had significant revenue growth. Three (arts and culture, health, and religion) had significant revenue declines. And two (environment and human services) had essentially no change in revenue from 2009 to 2010.

The sector with the greatest revenue growth, the international relief sector, had a dramatic revenue spike in January 2010, which was largely due to fundraising for relief efforts following a severe earthquake in Haiti.

While revenue has remained flat, donor numbers have continued to drop. Donors declined a median 2 percent for the index as a whole from 2009 to 2010. This continues a trend that predates the recession. Donor populations have been shrinking consistently for the past five years, primarily due to declines in new donor acquisition, according to the report.

After having been in decline for all of 2009, revenue per donor amounts increased during 2010. This growth was widespread throughout the index; 73 percent of the organizations in the index had positive revenue per donor growth during the period. These increases have allowed index organizations to maintain last year’s revenue levels even as donor numbers continue to fall, according to the report.

Overall donor declines have been primarily due to declines in new donors, which have also been in decline since 2005. New donor numbers fell a median 3.5 percent from 2009 to 2010, on top of a decline of 7.4 percent the year before, and in spite of strong disaster-related acquisition in the first quarter of the year. While three sectors (animal welfare, international relief, and societal benefit) had significant new donor growth in 2010, four sectors (arts and culture, environment, health, and human services) had significant new donor declines.

Median revenue per donor was $59 for the index in 2010. The international relief sector had the highest revenue per donor, with each donor giving $149. The religion sector had the lowest revenue per donor, with each donor giving $26.

Index donors gave a median 1.69 gifts each in 2010. Animal welfare organizations had the highest gift frequency of any sector, receiving a median 2.47 gifts per donor in 2010. Although sustainer or monthly giving programs are not widespread and typically account for a small fraction of giving, organizations with larger sustainer programs will drive up gifts-per-donor metrics.

The index as a whole had a median 51.2 percent donor retention rate in 2010. The arts and culture sector had the highest retention rate at a median 66.7 percent; the health sector had the lowest retention rate at a median 45.1 percent.

Donor and Donor Fatigue

Donors Still Eroding, But Gifts Getting Larger

While revenue held steady at many of the major, national nonprofits during 2010, the erosion of the donor base continues, with those staying behind adding to their donations and making up the losses.

The average donor tracked by the index gave a median 1.69 gifts in 2010 with the median revenue per donor being just $59.

That among the findings of the latest Target Analytics donorCentrics Index of National Fundraising Performance. For the 12 months ending in the fourth quarter of 2010, Target Analytics evaluated direct response giving transactions of 83 organizations, including more than 39 million donors and more than 81 million gifts totaling over $2.5 billion.

Revenue growth for the index was essentially flat in 2010, increasing by a median 1 percent from 2009. Just over half of the organizations in the index had revenue increases year over year, according to the index. Of the eight sectors in the index, three (animal welfare, international relief, and societal benefit) had significant revenue growth. Three (arts and culture, health, and religion) had significant revenue declines. And two (environment and human services) had essentially no change in revenue from 2009 to 2010.

The sector with the greatest revenue growth, the international relief sector, had a dramatic revenue spike in January 2010, which was largely due to fundraising for relief efforts following a severe earthquake in Haiti.

While revenue has remained flat, donor numbers have continued to drop. Donors declined a median 2 percent for the index as a whole from 2009 to 2010. This continues a trend that predates the recession. Donor populations have been shrinking consistently for the past five years, primarily due to declines in new donor acquisition, according to the report.

After having been in decline for all of 2009, revenue per donor amounts increased during 2010. This growth was widespread throughout the index; 73 percent of the organizations in the index had positive revenue per donor growth during the period. These increases have allowed index organizations to maintain last year’s revenue levels even as donor numbers continue to fall, according to the report.

Overall donor declines have been primarily due to declines in new donors, which have also been in decline since 2005. New donor numbers fell a median 3.5 percent from 2009 to 2010, on top of a decline of 7.4 percent the year before, and in spite of strong disaster-related acquisition in the first quarter of the year. While three sectors (animal welfare, international relief, and societal benefit) had significant new donor growth in 2010, four sectors (arts and culture, environment, health, and human services) had significant new donor declines.

Median revenue per donor was $59 for the index in 2010. The international relief sector had the highest revenue per donor, with each donor giving $149. The religion sector had the lowest revenue per donor, with each donor giving $26.

Index donors gave a median 1.69 gifts each in 2010. Animal welfare organizations had the highest gift frequency of any sector, receiving a median 2.47 gifts per donor in 2010. Although sustainer or monthly giving programs are not widespread and typically account for a small fraction of giving, organizations with larger sustainer programs will drive up gifts-per-donor metrics.

The index as a whole had a median 51.2 percent donor retention rate in 2010. The arts and culture sector had the highest retention rate at a median 66.7 percent; the health sector had the lowest retention rate at a median 45.1 percent.

Lou Tice and the Pacific Institute

Lou Tice and I go back 30 plus years…and he is always good and right on target. Goal setting is a big part of United Way, as we raise funds for over 90 programs in the northern part of California…here is his recent piece on goals:

If you’re going to get what you want in life, it is only common sense that first you have to know what you want. Even beyond that, it is absolutely essential that you take your desires seriously enough to goal-set to achieve them.

I am convinced that the reason most people fail to achieve their goals in life is that they never really set them in the first place. Most people spend more time planning a wedding or a vacation than they do planning their lives. And by failing to plan, they are actually planning to fail, by default.

You see, your mind is like the homing system in a torpedo or an automatic pilot. Once you clearly and specifically commit to a target, your mind uses negative and positive feedback from your environment, including your internal environment, to adjust your behavior.

But if you program your mind with vague desires, nonspecific goals, or fuzzy ideas, the feedback will be meaningless. For example, if you goal-set for a better standard of living, how will you know when you have achieved it? Any improvement at all will be something better. But if you have a highly specific target, such as doubling your income, you will always know when you are on track and exactly how far you have left to go at any given moment.

Remember, you have the power to achieve whatever you want in life, and commitment to specific goals is the surest way I know to tap into that power.

Lou Tice

The Pacific Institute

www.thepacificinstitute.com



Thanks for reading….. www.norcalunitedway.org

ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org