March 9, 2005
Palo Alto Medical Foundation, San Carlos Educational Foundation to Promote Health and Well-Being of Children
PAMF Commits $10,000 to SCEF Fundraising and Health Education Goals
The San Carlos Educational Foundation (SCEF) announced today that it has entered into a long-term relationship with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) to promote the health and well-being of children in the San Carlos School District. PAMF will make financial contributions to SCEF, as well as partner in a long-term Healthy Kids curriculum initiative that will support physical education, counseling, school nursing, health education and nutritional support for school lunches.
PAMF has already committed $10,000 as an unrestricted matching funds gift to the 2004/2005 Kid Fund campaign, SCEF's annual drive to raise private and corporate donations for the San Carlos School District. The gift will be the basis of a spring telethon in which SCEF will reach out to the community to match PAMF's contribution.
"The Palo Alto Medical Foundation's gift is a huge kick-off to our spring fundraising efforts," said April Carlson, fundraising chair for SCEF. "We are hoping that other local organizations will rise to the challenge and pledge what they can to promote healthy kids in our community."
PAMF and SCEF will also join forces on Saturday, May 7 at the Spring Fling, a collaborative community auction event between SCEF and district parent teacher associations (PTA) in which PAMF will once again be a sponsor. Proceeds from the event will be distributed equitably among the schools to offset budget challenges.
In addition, PAMF and SCEF will work closely with District Superintendent Dr. Patricia Wool, individual school administrators and PTA representatives to develop the Healthy Kids initiative in accordance with individual school needs. As the program develops, SCEF will organize informational sessions with the community to discuss the components of the curriculum.
"We are pleased to be able to support the existing efforts of the San Carlos Educational Foundation," said Dr. David Druker, CEO and president for PAMF, which in May 2003 announced plans to further extend its health care services to patients in the Midpeninsula area with its proposed San Carlos Center.
"PAMF has a history of contributing to the communities in which we are a part, and San Carlos is no exception," Dr. Druker added.
Initial plans for PAMF's proposed San Carlos Center include a seismically safe, integrated medical campus; medical offices for more than 150 primary care and specialty physicians; laboratory and radiology services; outpatient surgery; an urgent care center; 24-hour emergency care; and a 110-bed, full service, acute care hospital.
For more information about SCEF, contact April Carlson at april@carlsonhome.com. For more information about PAMF's San Carlos Center, visit www.pamf.org/sancarlos or call the Department of Public Affairs at 650-853-2965.
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) for Health Care, Research and Education is a not-for-profit health care organization that is a pioneer in both multispecialty group practice of medicine and outpatient medicine. The foundation has three health care divisions: the Palo Alto Division, the Camino Division and the Santa Cruz Division. The Palo Alto Division, staffed by 290 physicians of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, has provided a full range of care for Peninsula residents since it was founded in 1930. It operates clinics in Fremont, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Portola Valley and Redwood Shores. PAMF is part of the Sutter Health family of not-for-profit hospitals and physician organizations that share resources and expertise to advance health care quality. Serving more than 100 communities in Northern California, Sutter Health is a regional leader in cardiac care as well as care of women and children, and is a pioneer in advanced patient safety technology. For more information, visit www.pamf.org.
The San Carlos Educational Foundation (SCEF), founded in 1982, is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization that educates the community on the need for private donations for the public schools and is the lead fundraising entity for the San Carlos School District. In the past, SCEF has funded important programs like library specialists, music education and middle school counseling. The SCEF in on a record-setting fundraising pace for the annual Kid Fund campaign. The foundation hopes to expand its support of public school programs by reaching its $500,000 goal. For more information contact April Carlson, fundraising chair, at april@carlsonhome.com or Laura Neish, community outreach, at LauraNeish@opdevs.com.