News - Press Release

10,000 Rubber Ducks to Race in Vasona Lake County Park on June 22, 2008
First Silicon Valley Duck Race to Raise Money for Local Non-profits

Los Gatos, California, May 28, 2008 — On June 22, 2008, Vasona Lake County Park will be the site of the first Silicon Valley Duck Race where ten thousand bright yellow, red-lipped, sunglass wearing “adopted” rubber ducks will pour from a dump truck into a creek and race to Vasona Lake. A sight to behold for a good cause!

The Silicon Valley Duck Race—a partnership between Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley (JFS SV) and other local non-profits—will raise money to help provide services for families in the community. In addition to JFS SV, participating “Duck Buddies” will help sell the 10,000 duck adoptions and share in the race proceeds including Family Supportive Housing - San Jose Family Shelter, Beginning Steps to Independence School, Diabetes Society, Teen and Family Counseling Center, San Jose Chamber of Commerce Heart Walk Team and Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center Preschool.

Preceding the race on June 22 at 11:00am is the Duck Race Family Festival that will include entertainment, food, and games. Every half hour, there will be preliminary races in which the first few ducks will win prizes. The main race begins at 1:00 PM. Vasona Lake County Park is located at 333 Blossom Hill Road in Los Gatos, CA, 95030.

People who are interested in supporting the Duck Race can adopt ducks for $5 each, online from http://siliconvalleyduckrace.org/, onsite at JFS SV (14855 Oka Road in Los Gatos; call 408.357.7406) or through local retailers.

Each adopted duck will be numbered and entered into the Duck Race. The top 20 placing ducks will win $15,000 worth of prizes for their holders and a chance to win $1,000,000! Other prizes include jewelry from Vardy’s Jewelers, health club memberships from the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center and Courtside Club, dinner parties from Alexander’s Steakhouse and La Fondue, a luxurious night at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose and many other prizes.

“Sponsoring the Silicon Valley Duck Race is a great way for us to support a worthy cause,” commented Elie Monarch, President of Footwear Etc., a gold sponsor of the Silicon Valley Duck Race. “The services JFS SV and the other non-profits offer are essential for maintaining the fabric of the community both in promoting stable families and helping people achieve the American dream.”

JFS SV provides vocational services (i.e.: ESL, computer training, financial management education and job placement), crisis intervention, refugee resettlement, extensive services for seniors, and myriad volunteer opportunities, serving the community without regard to race, religion, ethnicity or ability to pay.

“Promoting a duck race fits with our core values of bringing people together and creating a family-friendly event,” said Mindy Berkowitz, Executive Director of JFS SV. “We really appreciate the support we have gotten from the community, especially our media partners who are helping to promote the event and the corporate and prize sponsors who gave so generously.”

Many local companies including AMI Recycling, Wells Fargo Bank, Akeena Solar, PRx, Communication Strategists, Metier Marketing Communications, and the Morgan Franich Fredkin & March law firm are supporting the Silicon Valley Duck Race as corporate sponsors. Media partners include NBC11, KEZR and KBAY radio stations, Silicon Valley Community Newspapers, and Camera Cinemas.

About the Silicon Valley Duck Race’s “Duck Buddies”

Family Supportive Housing - San Jose Family Shelter
Family Supportive Housing is committed to the entire family. The three distinct services areas; the San José Family Shelter, Bridges AfterCare and GlennArt Arms encourage families to stay intact while addressing their needs for food, shelter, education and employment. A long held commitment to family is the guiding force of the entire organization, which resonates in the heart of everything Family Supportive Housing does. The San Jose Family Shelter offered a safe place for 35 homeless families to live and receive services for up to 90 days. Seventy percent of the residents are children—the majority under 10 years of age. http://www.familysupportivehousing.org

Beginning Steps to Independence School
Walking, talking, playing, eating and dressing. We take for granted that our children will learn these skills. For children with cerebral palsy or other physical or developmental disabilities, daily activities such as these can be highly challenging. At Beginning Steps to Independence, Inc., a not-for-profit education and rehabilitation center for children from six months on, we employ Conductive Education to teach these skills. From the moment children come through our door, they are immersed in an environment that continually motivates them to acquire the skills of everyday living. Every activity--from playing with toys, to eating, to going to the bathroom--is a motivating and learning experience. Education is age-appropriate, and the older children follow California academic curriculum standards. Beginning Steps conducts students to greater independence and confidence in a warm, motivating environment. http://www.conductiveed.org

Diabetes Society
The Diabetes Society is a one-stop shop for diabetes education and support and serves 20,000 people annually. We give education, hope, and encouragement to those living with diabetes. Our programs include a 3-part diabetes management program, community-wide diabetes screenings, support groups, and diabetes education camps for children, teenagers, and families. The Society also helps recruit participants for the latest state of the art diabetes clinical trials. Registered nurses, registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators provide clients with the latest information about medications, supplies and blood glucose management. The goal is to teach people with diabetes how to live healthy lives and avoid the often devastating severe complications of the disease. http://www.diabetessociety.org

Teen and Family Counseling Center
Teen and Family Counseling Center is dedicated to helping adults, families, and children feel better, interact better, and develop healthier skills for a better life. As a leading provider of mental health services for over 22 years, we integrate community-based resources with our unique expertise to help ensure the highest quality of therapeutic service. Our highly trained and supervised staff of Marriage and Family Therapist Interns provide confidential, professional counseling services to individuals, couples, children and families, as well as group counseling, workshops, classes and seminars on a variety of issues throughout the year. TFCC always strives to offer affordable, exceptional counseling services and programs designed to support and improve the health, relationships and lives of all Bay Area families and residents. http://www.teenfamilycounseling.org/

Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center Preschool
The Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center Preschool is a quality, developmental Preschool program. Each year, we look forward to welcoming toddlers to 5-year-old children and their families to our Preschool. We work with parents to help develop the skills, values and attitudes to help the children grow to their fullest potential during the school year. Our staff is a team of warm, caring and creative individuals. Our program promotes a sense of community based on respect for others, in a Jewish environment. At the APJCC Preschool, we strive to help children to grow in all areas of development- social, emotional, cognitive, language and motor. In working toward this goal, we follow the National Association for the Education of Young Children developmentally appropriate practices. http://www.svjcc.org/html/preschool.html

San Jose Chamber of Commerce Heart Walk Team
The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce is a coalition of businesses representing more than a quarter of a million jobs across every sector of the economy. We believe that like our community, the strength of our organization is found in its diversity. The annual Heart Walk raises money for the American Heart Association. http://www.sjchamber.com