Community Service
Mills Family Farms has pledged $100,000 to Chartwell School in Seaside, California. Chartwell School is dedicated to educate children with dyslexia and related language learning disabilities in a way that provides them with the learning skills and self-esteem necessary to return successfully to mainstream education.
For more information on how you can help this school to continue supporting the children in our communities visit: www.chartwell.org.
The Salinas Californian
The agriculture community stepped forward to support Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley on Oct. 14, with a carload sale of lettuce and vegetables.
This year, local produce companies donated 1,593 cartons of locally grown produce.
The produce was transported by Anthony Marano Company to Chicago and was sold in local markets.
Included in this year's sale were: Benegard Ranch; Boggiatto Produce Inc.; Carl Dobler & Sons; D'Arrigo Brothers of California; Duda California; Easton Enterprises, Inc.; Fresh Express; Growers Express; Major Farms; Mills Family Farms; NewStar; Ocean Mist Farms; R.C. Farms; Royal Packing Co.; Salyer American Fresh Foods, Inc., Steinbeck Country Produce; Taylor Farms; and, Nunes Company.
Proceeds of the sale go to support the home-delivered meal programs of Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley.
Last year, the agency’s volunteers delivered more than 160,000 meals to those homebound, elderly and disabled individuals who were unable to shop for themselves, or prepare their own meals.
Meals on Wheels has been serving the Salinas Valley for 32 years.
Originally published Tuesday, October 22nd, 2004 back to top^
Relay Leads State
By Victor Calderon
The Salinas Californian
The annual Salinas Relay for Life has sprinted into second place in the nation among fund-raising events for the American Cancer Society, collecting just over $1.2 million this year.
The overnight team event also is the top Relay fund-raiser in California for a fourth straight year.
"This is an amazing tribute to the people of Salinas in reaching these numbers," Relay co-chairman Dave Mills said Monday.
The 2004 Relay for Life was held over 18 hours June 25 and 26 at Hartnell College in Salinas. About 4,000 team members, including 550 cancer survivors, participated on 167 teams to raise money for cancer research and prevention. Including onlookers, between 6,000 and 7,000 people attended the event.
“This is truly a community effort”, said April Daly, special events manager for the Salinas American Cancer Society office. “Everyone – families, businesses, cancer survivors – has come together in the fight against cancer.”
Mills said the event touches people and gives hope that help for cancer patients and their families is on the way.
He said there are small breakthroughs in research that wouldn’t be possible without events like the Relay for Life.
“I’m truly convinced we’ll find a cure in my lifetime,” Mills said. “The Relay gives hope for people whose lives have been affected by cancer.”
The city that raised the most money nationally this year was Gwinnett, Ga., just outside of Atlanta and home to the national headquarters of the American Cancer Society. Gwinnett raised just over $2 million.
Salinas beat out Bakersfield for top honors in California by about $100,000, Daly said.
Contact Victor Calderon at vcalderon@salinas.gannett.com.
Originally published Tuesday, October 19th, 2004back to top^
Kathy Pimental
Relay's co-chair
Cancer fund-raiser tops previous mark, organizers say
The 2004 Salinas Relay For Life appears to have topped last year's record fund-raising sum.
As the 18-hour event drew to a close Saturday at the Hartnell College track, Relay co-chairs Dave Mills and Kathy Pimentel announced that Salinas participants had already raised $1.2 million dollars by 12:30 p.m., surpassing the 2003 total of $1.19 million -- and volunteers aren't done counting.
"Give yourselves a standing ovation -- you did this," Pimentel told the crowd at the closing ceremony.
As money continues to trickle in through next month, organizers will add it to this year's total. The money will be donated to the American Cancer Society to fund research and prevention efforts across the country.
More than 6,000 people volunteered for the Salinas Relay, which brings joy and sorrow to its participants, many of whom are cancer survivors or relatives of people with cancer.
Joining more than 100 people in the closing lap of the Salinas Relay, Anne Buhler was near tears as she passed the luminarias that lined the track at Hartnell College.
"It's almost overwhelming -- the sadness of seeing the images of those we've lost --and then it's overwhelming seeing the excitement and support," said Buhler, 45, a breast-cancer survivor.
As the event wound up, 4-year-old cancer survivor Chelsea Caballero picked the winning raffle ticket for the 2004 Honda Civic donated by the Sam Linder dealership. It went to Lupe Marie Hernandez, who was not on hand to claim her shiny red prize.
The car raffle brought in about $80,000 to the Relay, at $10 per ticket, meaning about 8,000 tickets were sold.
A slight breeze blew through the encampment of tents erected only two days before. The wind rattled the mesh camouflage nets of the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System's award-winning "MASH"-themed camp site.
"Even if we (hadn't won) first place, it's just a great thing to get involved in," said Vicki Burgman, who stood alongside her co-workers Karen Haruta and Molly Joest.
The trio admired their site one last time before volunteers took it down.
The camp was created with donated materials from J & S Surplus of Moss Landing. More than 70 volunteers from Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System helped out on Friday night alone, Burgman said.
"It's about our best turnout ever," Haruta said.
For the past three years, Salinas has been No. 1 in the state, and last year it was No. 3 in the nation in funds raised for cancer research and prevention. It will take a couple of months to ascertain Salinas' standing this year.
Fisherman's Wharf
Rodeo Kiddies Take Reigns of Kaper Parade
(California Rodeo - Salinas)
The Californian, July 16, 2003.
• COWBOYS: First - Steven Basil Mills
• COWGIRLS: Second - Sophia Lazzerini
Steven Basil wins first prize. back to top^
Holds Preview (Salinas)
The Californian, September 29, 2003.
David Mills
Relay's co-chair
Relay For Life is a special overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for the American Cancer Society and cancer research. During the event, teams of people take turns walking, jogging, or running laps. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on the track at all times.
Sponsors and participants form teams of 10-12 people, who take turns or shifts on the relay track from Friday at 6:00 pm to Saturday at 1:00 pm.
The teams of caring individuals and families, businesses and trade associations, service and social clubs, churches and synagogues, and schools and youth groups collect team member registrations and set forth to raise a minimum of $100 per team member. The team spirit and camaraderie run high, and the emotions run deep as the teams enjoy 19 non-stop-hours of ongoing entertainment, testimonials, and ceremonies.
Mills Family Farms has been a Gold Sponsor of Relay for Life since its inception. Each year Mills has fielded a Relay for Life team to walk the track throughout the night and camp out in our theme-based tent.
The tall ship Guayas from the Navy of Ecuador made a long-awaited return visit to Monterey in June 21-26, 2002 as part of the City's Quadricentennial celebrations. The ship brought the Ecuadorian Naval Superior School from Guayaquil on the River Guayas—about 180 people: naval officers, midshipmen and enlisted men. This is the same ship that came to Monterey in the summer of 1999 on a previous goodwill mission. The ship was open to the public for tours, and there were several appearances by the ship's professional Salsa band.
The City of Monterey together with the Navy Postgraduate School, Defense Language Institute, Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, and various local organizations planned a variety of activities to welcome the crew and officials. Mills' good friend Chef John Pisto organized for several local companies made generous donations to the ships crew. Mills Family Farms donated 4,000 lbs. of lettuce and vegetables to feed the crew and officers until they reached their next destination. back to top^
Orientation by Jim Mills at Mills offices
In the fields, explaining farming techniques
on behalf of the Salinas Rotary Club. Jim Mills, Vice President/Sales and Marketing welcomes the Russian visitors came to learn about Salinas Valley agriculture.
Jim Mills leads the Russian delegation to the Wholeaves® fields. Later, they tour the Mills Family Farms Wholeaves® plant facilities to learn about Wholeaves® patented no-cut method.
& Local Communities for More than 40 Years
- Alzheimer's Association
- American Cancer Society
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association Of The Central Coast
- Big Brothers-Big Sisters Of Monterey County
- Boy Scouts Of America Monterey Bay Area Council*
- Boys & Girls Club Of Salinas Valley*
- California Foundation For Agriculture In The Classroom
- California International Airshow
- California Rodeo Inc.
- Camerata Singers Of Monterey County
- Carmel Performing Arts Festival
- CCVNA Foundation, Inc.
- Center For Community Advocacy*
- Chartwell School
- Child Abuse Prevention Council Of Monterey County
- Children's Services International*
- Church Of The Good Shepherd*
- Community Foundation For Monterey County*
- Confidence Pregnancy Center
- Door To Hope
- Entre Nous Society
- F.O.O.D. Crops, Inc./Ag Against Hunger*
- Family Service Agency Of Monterey County
- First Night Monterey
- First Presbyterian Church
- First Tee Monterey County*
- Food Bank For Monterey County
- Foundation For Monterey County Free Libraries*
- Foundation Of California State University, Monterey Bay
- Friends Of The Monterey County Fair*
- Hide 'N Seek Children's Foundation*
- Hospice Of The Central Coast
- Interim Inc
- Jim Tunney Youth Foundation
- Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Monterey Bay Area Branch
- Kinship Center
- Legal Services For Seniors*
- Leukemia Society Of America
- MADD-Monterey County Chapter
- Meals On Wheels Of The Salinas Valley*
- Monterey Bay Aquarium*
- Monterey County Film Commission
- Monterey Symphony
- Multiple Sclerosis Community Services
- Muscular Dystrophy Association
- National Steinbeck Center*
- Natividad Medical Foundation*
- Pacific Repertory Theatre
- Salinas Community YMCA
- Salinas Jaycees
- Salinas Rotary Club*
- Salinas Valley Chamber Of Commerce
- Salinas Valley Freedom Festival
- Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital Foundation*
- Special Olympics Northern California
- Spirit West Coast
- Streets Of Bethlehem
- Sun Street Centers*
- The Franciscan Workers Of Juniperro Serra
- The Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute For Public Policy*
- The Salvation Army-Salinas Corps*
- United Way Of Monterey County*
- Women's Crisis Center
- Young Life Salinas Valley and Seaside
* A member of Mills Family Farms has served on the board of this organization.