Download FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MORGAN HILL COMMUNITY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MORGAN HILL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HONORS AND THANKS
LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AND PHILANTHROPISTS
Radio Host Jona Denz-Hamilton from 94.5 KBAY to Serve as Master of Ceremonies
Morgan Hill, Calif., (Oct. 18, 2013) – The Morgan Hill Community Foundation (MHCF) is preparing
for November’s National Philanthropy Month by hosting the 8th Annual Outstanding Philanthropist
celebration, Saturday evening, Nov. 16, at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center. The event
showcases the many local volunteers and philanthropists who are nominated by their peers as exemplary
contributors to the Morgan Hill community. A typical honoree is a person who may have worked
numerous volunteer hours or may have provided critical financial support. This year’s honoree list and
the groups nominating them are:
Honoree
Nominating Organization
Robert Airoldi
Alexis Almaraz
Majid Bahriny
Winslow Briggs
Ann Briggs
Mary Ann Bruegmann
Sandra Curran
John Firth
Rich Gamboa
Janie Knopf
Marcy Leggett
Laura Lundy
Margaret McCann
Don Nguyen
Peggy Pinarbasi
Margaret Rodrigues
Joy Safakish
Linda Shimkus
Ric Smith
South Bay Piping Industry
Jennifer Tate
Mike Glantz with Thrivent Financial
Arnavaz Wadia
Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce
Youth Action Council
Morgan Hill Downtown Association
Pine Ridge Association
Pine Ridge Association
Morgan Hill Sister Cities
The Learning and Loving Education Center
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Independence Day Celebrations, Freedom Fest
Leadership Morgan Hill
Centennial Recreation Senior Center
Rotary Club of Morgan Hill
American Association of University Women
Teachers Aid Coalition
American Red Cross of Silicon Valley
Morgan Hill Historical Society
Friends of the Morgan Hill Library
Community Solutions
Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center
Morgan Hill Community Foundation
Leadership Morgan Hill
One Step Closer Therapeutic Riding
Morgan Hill Library
Themed “Night of the Stars,” this year’s event will feature a red-carpeted, paparazzi-style entrance area,
complete with a 6-foot Oscar award statue and Oscar-themed decorations. The half dozen photographers
serving as our local paparazzi are representing the Morgan Hill Photography Club, a club striving to
further the appreciation and understanding of photography as an art form. Several of its members are
award-winning professional and amateur photographers who generously support Morgan Hill’s art
scene. For more information, see morganhillphotographyclub.org.
Also added to this year’s event is master of ceremonies, Jona Denz-Hamilton, who is a popular radio
host on 94.5 FM KBAY, a San Jose-based adult contemporary music station. The catered dinner event
begins with a social hour complemented with a live, acoustic jazz band, “Nineteen,” led by Gus
Kambeitz, a talented composer, music arranger, and director of jazz studies at West Valley College. For
information about the MHCF or to purchase tickets to this year’s event, see www.morganhillcf.org.
The MHCF was formed in December 2002 and has awarded approximately $420,000 to local
organizations and projects since its inception. It is affiliated with the Silicon Valley Community
Foundation, a tax-exempt public charity with assets of approximately $3 billion. The group meets the
breadth of community needs through six funding areas: Arts & Culture, Recreation, Education &
Livelong Learning, Health & Human Services, Science & Technology, and Environment & Agriculture.
It has an annual discretionary grants process that awards grants to local non-profit organizations and
programs, as well as works with donors on an individual basis to assist in philanthropic choices and
community investment strategies.
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Media Contact:
Amy Whelan
[email protected]
Morgan Hill Community Foundation