Cheers for Charity Raises Over $5,900 for Local Charities
On Thursday, June 16, 2022, for the first time in nearly two years, the San Mateo County REALTORS® Foundation hosted "Cheers for Charity"—an in-person fundraiser event at Dominic's at Oyster Point in South San Francisco—bringing together SAMCAR members, staff, and friends for dinner, drinks, raffle prizes and live music from the As Is Band, raising more than $5,900 to benefit housing-related charities in San Mateo County.
View photos from Cheers for Charity on Flickr
With its sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay, Dominic's at Oyster Point provided a scenic banquet hall from which guests enjoyed a delicious Mexican buffet dinner and live music with the As Is Band, featuring Gary Pellegrini, Pete Aiello, Mike Ramezzano, Bob Garrison, Ron Guruwitz and Dave Stone. Upon arriving at the event, attendees were welcomed inside by volunteers from SAMCAR's Special Events Committee who sold raffle tickets for several dozen prize packages, including gift baskets donated by SAMCAR members and gift certificates donated by local businesses, listed in the event program. The exuberance of gathering together again was only amplified by a Golden State Warriors win in the middle of the event.
The event this year held additional significance as the first in-person fundraiser for the SAMCAR Foundation in two years. While pandemic restrictions prevented in-person fundraising in 2020 and 2021, the Special Events Committee were diligent in a quick pivot to online fundraising. Creating the #SAMCARGivesBack fundraiser, the group raised funds to continue grant giving at pace with previous years. At the beginning of 2022, SAMCAR members also continued to demonstrate their extraordinary generosity with more than 600 REALTORS® making a voluntary contribution to the SAMCAR Foundation with their dues payment, helping start the year with over $18,000 for charitable grants.
In addition to the voluntary contributions that many SAMCAR members choose to make with their annual dues payments, events like "Cheers for Charity" are among the primary source of funds for grants provided by the SAMCAR Foundation to housing-related charities in San Mateo County. Each quarter, the Foundation Council reviews grant requests from local charities and proudly supports organizations including HEART of San Mateo County, StarVista, Samaritan House, Society of St. Vincent de Paul of San Mateo County, CORA, Rebuilding Together Peninsula, LifeMoves and many others.
The benefit of events like "Cheers for Charity" is not only to provide vital funding for Foundation grants, but also creates opportunities for the face-to-face interactions and relationship building that are essential to the real estate business.
SAMCAR events are possible in large part thanks to generous contributions from annual sponsors—organizations that make annual contributions to SAMCAR to fund association activities and charitable fundraising.
Planning and staffing these events is also only possible with the support of SAMCAR staff and the Special Events Committee, a group of SAMCAR members who volunteer their time to plan and staff events, co-chaired by Toni Burrows and Michelle Velez in 2022. In addition to committee leadership, special thanks are owed in particular to volunteers including Ann Palermo, Andrea Bologna, Anne Rodrigues Toth, Marlin Handley, Celeste Pagan, Frank Vento, Naz Amir, Anthony Bolivar and Stacy Guthmann for welcoming guests, selling raffle tickets, and assuring the festivities flowed smoothly for all guests to enjoy.
The SAMCAR Foundation encourages housing-related nonprofits operating in San Mateo County to apply for grants from www.samcarfoundation.org Grant application deadlines February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 to be considered during that quarter.
Press Release 
