Jennifer Sebay

The Crow Canyon Country Club Athletic Committee is hosting their second annual fundraiser benefitting Discovery Counseling Center (DCC), a non-profit organization based in San Ramon Valley. The community is invited to enjoy an evening of comedy and music on Friday, August 24^th at the club. Some may recall the huge success of last year’s Crow Canyon Rocks concert featuring Scarlett Machine (formerly MdK). This year’s event is geared more toward adults capitalizing on the current popularity of dueling piano acts. This year’s headliner will be 2 Grand Entertainment, featuring Michael Mastromatteo and David Alan on dueling pianos. Opening the show will be award-winning local comedian, David Vanavermaete.

“This is the second year in a row that the Crow Canyon Athletic Committee has chosen the Discovery Counseling Center as our charity to raise funds for,” said Dan Cottam, Club Aquatics Director. “Because we are in so much contact with all the youth in the community with our summer, fall and year round swim programs, tennis and golf programs we felt this organization provides an incredibly valuable service to the kids and families of the community.” Cottam adds, “we expect to sell out the event on August 24th and raise as much money as we can for the Discovery Counseling Center.”

If laughter and music are the best medicine, then the beneficiary of the event brings hope of a better outcome for troubled teens. Discovery Counseling Center offers affordable and high-quality mental health services for the entire family, but the most compelling aspect is their work with the local schools. Since 1988, DCC has been providing counseling and intervention services at all 34 elementary, middle, and high schools in the San Ramon Unified School District. The program helps children by offering counseling sessions at no cost by intern counselors supervised by DCC staff therapists.

“Having the opportunity to work with teens who are suffering from the challenges of life as an adolescent is very rewarding,” said Kathy Kane, DCC’s Clinical Director, “Teens quickly humble you by reminding us of that tumultuous time, not so long ago, when there were so many roads to choose from. The counseling relationship can provide a bridge for them between their world and the adult world.”

The wonderful results experienced by all involved in the School-Counseling Intervention Program (SCIP) bring added value to the Discovery Counseling Center. “The teens, their families, and the community are very positive about their involvement with SCIP,” said Kathy Chiverton, DCC’s Executive Director, “Teens recognize that the counseling helps them cope with the many pressures they experience between peer relationships, academics and family issues. They often report feeling stronger, less depressed or anxious, and “back on track” with their life following a course of counseling. Parents report relief that their children are less distressed and, frequently, feel reconnected to them. Parents and schools also see that counseling helps the teens become more aware of how their behavior expresses their emotional turmoil and that they begin to make healthier life choices and decisions.”

Those who attend the fundraiser event will be benefiting the local community and supporting the honorable mission of Discovery Counseling Center. “If the mission of DCC were achieved, everyone who is struggling with mental health issues would seek help early and often,” said Chiverton, “There would be no barriers to their getting the support that they need to cope with life’s challenges. Counseling would be recognized as an essential component in achieving a happy and healthy life.”

The fun-filled evening will include food, libations, raffle and an auction. Tickets are $35.00 per person which includes dinner and a no host bar. Child care will be available (call ahead of time). Full tables and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Kathy Chiverton of Discovery Counseling Center at (925) 837-0505.

About Discovery Counseling Center
Discovery Counseling Center is a community based non-profit organization in business for over 40 years in the greater San Ramon Valley. DCC is committed to providing affordable and high-quality mental health services for families. Visit: http://www.discoveryctr.net/

Non-profit organization TLC for Kids Sports, sponsored by O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc., announced today that construction broke ground for the Las Lomas Outdoor Memorial Classroom. This is the culmination of a year-long fundraising campaign and school activities in honor of Gavin Powell and Matt Miller, two students who died last year while rafting in a storm-swollen local creek. “I am amazed that all our talking and designing and planning are actually taking shape,” said Senior Class Vice President Erin Donoghue. “For a long time I feared that we would not be able to make the memorial idea a reality so this groundbreaking is all that I could have asked for. Students are excited by the prospect of having a new outdoor area on campus. Now that they see work is actually occurring in the space they look forward to seeing the final product.”

Each year the seniors get together and share ideas for their annual Senior Class Gift. “When we thought of the Memorial idea we knew we had to do it,” said Donoghue, “None of our other ideas were special enough; nothing else we could do was a big enough project – a big enough statement—to accurately reflect the statement Matt and Gavin made on our class and campus. The boys left a legacy on every member of the Las Lomas community; our hope was to honor their legacy by creating a space that would ensure they are never forgotten.” And so the idea began to take shape for the Las Lomas Outdoor Classroom. The designs are even based on sketches that Miller did for a school assignment.

While the community has stepped up to support the project through donations and fundraising, the major cost will be covered by O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc. and their non-profit organization, TLC for Kids Sports. “As an organization dedicated to improving our local community and youth sports, we were eager to spearhead the Matt and Gavin Memorial Project. It’s a true community endeavor, with designs inspired by the students themselves,” added Kelly Kolander, President and CEO of O.C. Jones and TLC for Kids Sports. Additional major donors include Berkeley Cement, Inc. and Central Concrete Supply Co., Inc.

Construction of the Outdoor Classroom will include concrete pathways leading to a circular seating area. The 5,000sf area will be planted with native drought tolerant plants and include other quiet seating areas for the students. The entire space will be dedicated to “nature, relationships and education”; all things Miller and Powell adored.

O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc. and TLC for Kids Sports hosted a special Volunteer Day on April 28th. “The volunteer day allowed family, friends and fellow community members of Matt and Gavin to truly be an active part of the Memorial building process, which is really important,” said Kolander. There was a huge community turnout as people were anxious to lend a helping hand to the physical labor involved in the creation of the memorial. Earlier in the year, students remembered Matt and Gavin through various events and activities that included a funk dance party, tile painting, writing messages on posters and more. They also shared memories and ideas for the design of the memorial area. Everyone involved was excited as their collective ideas came to fruition with the actual construction of the outdoor classroom.

Many people may relate to Donoghue’s heartwarming reaction to the memorial. “I am comforted,” she said, “that there is a place at Las Lomas that will never forget Matt and Gavin. They were the two strongest individuals I have ever met, and I think our community will be thankful that these two boys will be continually remembered on campus.”

About TLC for Kids Sports
TLC for Kids Sports, sponsored by O.C. Jones & Sons, is aiming to improve our local communities and youth sports, one field at a time. This non-profit corporation partners with radio station KNBR 680AM, The Sports Leader, to hold special contests. The winners receive much-needed Tender Loving Care for their youth sports fields. Thousands of children are playing on safer and modern fields. Their vision is for every child involved in youth sports to play on a safe field that is also accessible for the physically challenged.

They are seeking out neighborhoods where fields and parks need some strong attention and rebuilding as many of them as they can. In addition, they reach out along the way to local sponsors, donors, public officials and volunteers to give everyone a chance to be involved and to exemplify a true community project.

To nominate a field, become a sponsor, or get involved, visit their website at www.TLCforKidsSports.org.

About O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc.
O. C. Jones &. Sons, Inc., founded in 1924, continues to build on its historic legacy as a leading heavy civil construction contractor and builder of athletic fields in Northern California. They perform paving, grading, excavating, demolition, synthetic surfaces, underground utility, environmental remediation, and emergency response for public and private clients. Their core markets are highway and airport construction; stadiums, athletic fields and parks; commercial; industrial; residential; and intermodal facilities. Visit www.ocjones.com