California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Charity Regatta
DTB

Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care of Santa Barbara website:
http://www.sbvna.org

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Charity Regatta
September 13, 2009

Regatta Benefits Hospice
Yacht Club Raises $65K for Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - Through a calm fog resting on the surface of the Santa Barbara harbor, and a slow breeze hugging pelicans close to one another, a cluster of sailboats crept across the ocean’s face on Sunday, September 13, bent, it might appear, on capturing Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones, and the Kraken all in one bag.

But in truth, these floating urchins were giving up their booty in collective thousands.

The Santa Barbara Yacht Club hosted its fifth annual Yachts of Love Charity Regatta event to benefit the local Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care Organization through raffle prizes, a hearty selection of food, and, above all, sail boat races.

With close to 150 sailors, yacht club members, and supporters in attendance—including Santa Barbara Fire Chief David Sadecki and radio personality Laura Schlesinger—Regatta chairperson Tony Papa hoped this year’s event would ring in more than last year’s total of $75,000. It came close.

The Yacht Club, which was established seven years after the end of the Civil War, has 750 members who, said Papa, have “traditionally participated in a variety of charities” and done much to contribute to their community. “The Visiting Nurses have been around for over 100 years,” said Papa. “They are dynamically local.”

Tamara Skov, executive director of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care said her organization serves about 4,000 people yearly, some of whom live at Serenity House. Eighty-six percent of their patients need some form of subsidizy. About half need some cash assistance, while the other half require hospice care, home health care, or non-medical personal care like bathing, transportation, etc. “No one’s turned away because of an inability to pay,” said Skov.

And that’s where the Regatta steps in. “[I am] incredibly grateful to the Yacht Club for helping us take care of people who otherwise have no where else to go at the end of their lives,” said Skov.

And since the Yacht Club specializes in boating, it only made sense to host a regatta (the word means “sailboat race” in Italian) to raise funds for the organization.

The race was divided into two categories: The Performance Handicap Racing Fleets (PHRF) were arranged so that faster, lighter boats could not necessarily defeat slower, heavier boats. By the end of the race, times were adjusted according to the handicap so that the outcome of the race is determined by a team’s sailing skills and not their equipment. The Club Handicap Racing Fleets (CHRF) were run and judged in the same manner, but comprised exclusively of club members.

With the sound of a canon, and a salute from two World War II B52 Bomber planes that were flying above, the teams prepared to race. Land lovers watched from the yacht deck as the sun started peeking through the clouds and the fleets made ready to receive flag, sign, and horn signals from sailor Dana Jones, who decided the start time of the race as well as it’s surprise course. Jones—whom Papa described as the Club’s “resident stud racing director and best race coordinator”—lived up to expectations, checking wind direction, speed, and various other complex indicators of satisfactory sailing conditions before finally starting the race. As the fleets sallied forth, conversation about racers like radio person Julie Ramos, and Fiesta’s 2009 El President Anthony Borgatello, stirred the now humid air.

Out on the ocean, competitors gripped spinnakers and averted collision. The field was close, with the racers close upon each others’ sterns. Riding with Gary and Janet Gordon on their beloved Moomba—which Janet said means “Let’s have a good time” in Australian—was their friend and Visiting Nurse social worker Cheryl Bench, who gave a perspective of the race not seen from shore. And despite the obvious excitement of the race, Bench’s presence on the Moomba was a reminder of the race’s purpose. “The fact they do this every year is wonderful,” said Bench. “It makes the job easier when I can say to [patients] that we have funds, and they don’t have to worry about anything.”

The Gordon’s boat cruised through the pack, circling past Dr. Laura and her Warrior’s red sail; Dave Sadecki and his team’s white Skiah Dhu; and the seemingly overpopulated, tipping Taxi ridden by Dick Compton, Tom Parker, and Jim Yabsley.

Pulling up to the Mesa then circling back towards the harbor through obstacles of seals and sea lions, kelp, gulls and other teams, only one contributor from each category came out on top.

CHRF first place finishers Max and Shirley Lynn and PHRF first placer Dirk Friedlin celebrated their wins with food and friends. Sadecki, an experienced sailor and crewmember on Friedlin’s team, racing with the club for only the second time, called the charity event very friendly and generous all around. “I think it’s a really good group of people,” said Sadeki. “They get people [on teams] who have never sailed before.” Friedlin fought a close race with Dr. Laura’s Warrior, which came in five seconds after the Skiah Dhu.Friedlin let Sadecki receive and keep the award because “he’d appreciate it.”

But while sailors won cups, and participants won raffle prizes—like a trip to Costa Rica, or free boat cleaning—the real winner was Visiting Nurses & Hospice Care of Santa Barbara, which received upwards of $65,000, said Papa, “despite the economy.”

“This is my club,” said Friedlin. “This is what we do for the community.” -- BIANCA LICATA, Santa Barbara Independent, Inc.

Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care of Santa Barbara website:
http://www.sbvna.org

Pre-event info:
Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care is proud to announce that once again this year, the Santa Barbara Yacht Club is hosting a Charity Regatta to benefit the hospice program at VNHC.

This year's event will take place on Sunday, September 13th at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. The day includes sailboat races, a predicted log event for power boats, a famous Yacht Club barbeque and live music.

Included in the event is the opportunity to ride aboard a "spectator" boat so that you can view the race from the water. And if you have not seen the view of Santa Barbara from the water, this event is a must!
This year several of our racing skippers will be sharing the helm with local personalities and community safety personnel, including:
- News Anchor Paula Lopez of KEYT Key News
- 2009 El Presidente Anthony Borgatello
- Radio Personality Catherine Remak of the K-Lite morning show Gary & Catherine
- Radio Personality Bill Peso
- Battalion Commander David Sadeki of Santa Barbara County Fire Department
- Battalion Commander Pat McElroy of Santa Barbara City Fire Department
- Police Officer Kent "Wojo" Wojciechoski of Santa Barbara Police Department
- Lieutenant Doug Kresky of Santa Barbara Police Department

The Charity Regatta offers a unique opportunity to spend the day at the Yacht Club and experience sailing without having to buy or rent a boat!

The day is generously underwritten by local sponsors. If you are interested in buying tickets or sponsoring the event, please click here.
Tickets are $75 for adults and $25 for children. Buy your tickets by September 10, and receive a free raffle ticket!

We have some wonderful raffle prizes including:
- 4 Days in La Paz Mexico with a Fishing Excursion
- 1 Night Stay at the Biltmore
- Admission for 2 to Hearst Castle
- Gift Certificate to Evolutions Medical Spa
And many more!!!!

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Charity Regatta
September 7, 2008

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Charity Regatta
September 9, 2007

Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care of Santa Barbara website:
http://www.sbvna.org

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Charity Regatta
September 10, 2006

On a beautiful September Sunday, the Santa Barbara Yacht Club (SBYC) hosted the second annual Charity Regatta to benefit the hospice services of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care.  More than 200 people enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather, a predicted log power boat event, a sail boat race and the famous SBYC barbecue.  For those who were not racing, there were spectator boats lined up to take them on the water to enjoy the race.

It was a perfect event with wind for sailing, lots of raffle prizes and a reggae band to celebrate the end of the race.  Mayor Marty Blum was on hand to help Regatta Committee Chairman, Dennis Friederich, award trophies to the winners of the power boat and sail boat events.  When the counting was done, contributions totaled more than $70,000 dollars – a 30% increase over last year – that will go directly to support hospice charity care.

Thank you to the Santa Barbara Yacht Club and our sponsors for making the 2nd Annual Charity Regatta a huge success!

Hosted by: Santa Barbara Yacht Club

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Website:
http://www.sbyc.org

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Charity Regatta -- NEW in 2005
September 11, 2005

The newest hospice regatta was a WILD success! The first Santa Barbara YC Charity Regatta had a goal to raise $20,000 for Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care of Santa Barbara. That amount was far exceeded, reaching almost $75,000. Many sponsors have already committed to next year, and the sailors are planning for it. More details soon.

This year, the Santa Barbara Yacht Club hosted the First Annual Charity Regatta, benefiting Visiting
Nurse & Hospice Care.

Local Santa Barbara resident and radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a local Santa Barbara resident and syndicated radio talk show host, took part in the day's events as both a Founding Sponsor and a competitor in the afternoon sailing race. She also gave a heartwarming speech during the morning brunch about Hospice's involvement in the care of a family member during his final days.

Dozens of guests took advantage of the generosity of Santa Barbara Yacht Club members who donated the use of their yachts and sailboats throughout the day to provide tours of the harbor and an up-close view of the sailing race.



A live reggae band entertained guests all afternoon, while a steel drum band and a troupe of Polynesian dancers kept things lively during the morning.


Trophy presentations honored the winners of the various sailing races and classes, as well as]with a special honor for Outstanding Boat, the crew that donated the largest amount to Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care as part of their boat entry fee.





In addition to the excitement of the actual boat races, the Yacht Club will host a pre-race brunch and an after-race party and barbecue with live music. There will be access to local yachts for spectators to view the races, as well other fun and unique activi-ties in and around the Yacht Club. There will also be fantastic raffle prizes for items like a luxury cruise and a trip to Puerto Vallarta!

As you may know, Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care of Santa Barbara is a non-profit agency in existence for nearly 100 years. In addition to being the only state licensed and Medicare certified hospice program in the Santa Barbara area, they are also the largest provider of home health, and operate one of the very few residential hospice facilities for the terminally ill in California.

VNHC serves over 3,000 patients each year, and their mission is to provide high quality, comprehensive home health, hospice, and related services necessary to promote the health and wellbeing of all community residents, including those unable to pay. In fact, they must raise over $925,000 in 2005 to continue their commitment to providing care for patients who are unin-sured, underinsured and unable to pay.

The Santa Barbara Yacht Club is one of this area’s most recognized institutions, and our Charity
Regatta will be one way that we give back to this community by showing our appreciation and support to the nurses, home health aides, counselors and volunteers who tend to the needs of others every day. This will be a popular and exciting event with many opportunities for sponsor and donor recognition. Since this is our very first Charity Regatta, all of this year’s sponsors will be
recognized as Founding Sponsors. We invite our Founding Sponsors to participate in one of three ways:
• As a Corporate Sponsor, enlisting your company or organization to support this important event.
• As a Boat Sponsor, supporting skippers and crews who race for the cause of comfort and dignity at the end of life.
• As a Memorial Sponsor, securing special recognition for a loved one who has passed away.

Please join with us in establishing a new Santa Barbara tradition and supporting the important work of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care. All Founding Sponsorships are tax-deductible and need to be submitted no later than July 31st, 2005 to be included in our printed materials. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Antonio Daniel at Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care, 805-690-
6282. See you on the water!

Hosted by: Santa Barbara Yacht Club

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Website:
http://www.sbyc.org

There are still several Founding Sponsorships available and I hope you and/or your organization will join us in this great event for a great cause.

Founding Sponsor Benefit Levels

$5,000 Sponsors
Sponsors at our top level will receive a premier recognition package including prime placement of your custom banners at the event, your logo and name in all printed materials, prominent recognition in a News-Press thank you ad, and prominent recognition in the Yacht Club newslet-ter and the VNHC newsletter. You will also enjoy a variety of event-benefits including preferred seating at our special private brunch on the day of the event, exclusive access to spectator boats, post-race party and bar-becue passes, raffle tickets for lots of great prizes, as well as Regatta t-shirts and hats.

$2,500 sponsors
will receive a generous recognition package including prominent placement
of your custom banners, your logo and name in all printed materials, distinct recognition in a
News-Press thank you ad, and distinct recognition in the Yacht Club newsletter and the VNHC
newsletter. Special event-benefits will include preferred seating at our private brunch on the day of the event, spectator boat passes, post-race party and barbecue passes, raffle tickets for lots of
great prizes, and Regatta t-shirts and hats.

$1,000 Sponsors
Support us the $1,000 level and get your name listed on all printed materials as well as special
recognition in a News-Press thank you ad, as well as the Yacht Club and VNHC newsletters.
Event benefits will include seating at our special private brunch, access to post-race party and
barbecue, raffle tickets for lots of great prizes, and Regatta t-shirts and hats.

$500 Sponsors
Sponsors at the $500 level will receive recognition in a News-Press thank you ad, as well as the
Yacht Club and VNHC newsletters. Event benefits will include seating at our special private
brunch, access to post-race party and barbecue, and raffle tickets for lots of great prizes.

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