Determined to help Pet owners pay for Veterinary care, Dina Ruiz joins Max’s Helping Paws Foundation board

 Facing unprecedented hardships brought by the pandemic, many Monterey County pet owners find it difficult, if not impossible, to afford the costs of unexpected care for their treasured pets. 

Carmel, CA, November 11, 2020 - Now they have a new champion in Dina Ruiz, the newest board member for Max’s Helping Paws Foundation, a local animal welfare nonprofit that helps responsible pet owners fund treatment for pets facing a health crisis. “Helping responsible pet owners obtain vet services in times of need is one of the greatest undertakings in the nonprofit arena,” said Ruiz, who is “mom” to four dogs and one stray cat, who adopted her family in 2019. “Being part of Max’s Helping Paws, getting to be part of taking away stress and maintaining love, is an honor, a privilege.” 

Ruiz has enjoyed a long and varied career in broadcast and print media. She is the former weeknight anchor at KSBW-TV in Salinas. She co-hosted the pioneering television show, “Candid Camera” with Peter Funt. She also created, executive produced and starred in E! Network’s “Mrs. Eastwood & Company” while managing the pop-vocal band Overtone featured in the show. 

Ruiz has a 30-year history of service as president and/or member of nonprofit boards, including The California Museum, The Panetta Institute for Public Policy, Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Greater Bay Area, and now Max’s Helping Paws. 

“I came late to the wonderful world of dog ownership, getting my first dog (a pug named Coco) when I was 48-years-old,” she said. “Since then, I’ve adopted and/or fostered nine dogs. I cannot imagine the agony of watching their health falter — or losing them altogether — due to not being able to take care of their medical needs. I am so grateful to Max’s Helping Paws for making vet care accessible to so many Monterey County citizens.” 

Ruiz recognizes pet owners face urgent needs during the pandemic. 

“Times are tougher than ever with Covid, virus-related job losses and other hardships,” she said. “Max’s Helping Paws is the light at the end of a dark tunnel for pet owners in their darkest hour. I am honored to be part of it!”

 Believing financial circumstances should never decide a companion pet’s fate, Max’s relies on the generosity of the community to fund its mission. General donations are accepted through the nonprofit’s website www.maxshelpingpaws.org. 

Max's Helping Paws Foundation (MHPF) was co-founded in 2016 by Dyana Klein and her husband and veterinary internist, Dr. Jonathan Fradkin, in memory of their pet, Maximillian. 

The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports all Monterey County veterinary practices to provide financial assistance to clients with pets in need of both critical short-term or longer-term care for chronic illness.  Since it first started providing financial assistance in mid-2017, MHPF has approved more than $300,000 in financial assistance, and has helped hundreds of pet families give their pets a second chance. MHFP is based in Monterey County and serves only Monterey County. Max’s Helping Paws Foundation (831) 704-6473  info@maxshelpingpaws.org 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
(831) 747-7455 
http://www.maxshelpingpaws.org

Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa Named a 2020 Platinum Choice Award Winner by Smart Meetings

  Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa has been named one of only 10 properties in California to win the prestigious 2020 Platinum Choice Award from Smart Meetings for hospitality “organizations that consistently exceed expectations and help planners deliver on their goals.”

 Monterey, CA, November 11, 2020 —Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa has been named one of only 10 properties in California to win the prestigious 2020 Platinum Choice Award from Smart Meetings for hospitality “organizations that consistently exceed expectations and help planners deliver on their goals.”

The Hyatt Regency Monterey has “gone above and beyond during these difficult times and moved to the top of readers’ lists by delivering professional, creative and thoughtful service,” according to the industry magazine. “Meeting production is a collaborative industry and working with the best-in-class is how we deliver above expectations for attendees and clients.”  

The Hyatt Regency Monterey was the only property in Monterey County to win the award. 

About Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa on Del Monte Golf Course

Nestled in the Monterey Pines minutes from scenic Route 1 awaits Hyatt Regency Monterey. Here, guests will uncover an authentic Monterey experience: energized and inspired by the area’s coastal beauty, 22-acres of grounds yearning to be discovered and an abundance of on-site experiences to keep everyone entertained. Unique for every visitor, Hyatt Regency Monterey is a destination to discover your passions, the outdoors and each other—a place where you escape to connect. Features include 560 guestrooms including 32 suites, and the President’s house, Knuckles Sports Bar, Central Coast Provisions, a 3,000 square foot fitness facility, spa, tennis courts, pools and whirlpools.  The hotel is located at 1 Old Golf Course Road in Monterey, California. For information call (831) 372-1234 or visit https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/california/hyatt-regency-monterey-hotel-and-spa-on-del-monte-golf-course/mrydm

 About Davidson Hotels & Resorts

Davidson Hotels & Resorts is an award-winning, full-service hospitality management company comprised of 61 existing hotels and resorts; more than 120 restaurants, bars and lounges; and nearly 1.5 million square feet of meeting space across the United States. Amassing one of the purest full-service hotel portfolios in the industry, Davidson, along with its lifestyle and luxury operating vertical, Pivot Hotels & Resorts, specializes in independent and branded assets in the upper-upscale to luxury segments. A trusted partner and preferred operator for Hilton, Hyatt, Kimpton, Marriott, and Margaritaville, Davidson offers a unique entrepreneurial management style and owners’ mentality that provides the individualized personal service of a small company, enhanced by the breadth and depth of skill and experience of a larger company. For more information, visit www.davidsonhotels.com. Follow us on Instagram: @davidsonhotelsresorts and Twitter: @Davidson_Hotels. Like us on Facebook: @DavidsonHotelsandResorts. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Davidson_Hotels_and_Resorts.

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR 
(831) 747-7455 
marci@thebuzzpr.net 
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/california/

 

ARCpoint Labs Offer Affordable, Accurate and Convenient COVID-19 Saliva Tests

  Looking for more affordable, more accurate and more convenient COVID-19 saliva tests with a 48-hour turnaround for test results? 

Monterey, CA, November 10, 2020 - Looking for more affordable, more accurate and more convenient COVID-19 saliva tests with a 48-hour turnaround for test results? ARCpoint Labs of Monterey Bay has saliva tests that are as or even more accurate than the gold standard nasal swab. You can get tested at our labs with convenient drive-through testing or pick up the test to self-administer at home. We can also mail you a test pack! It’s easy to administer, requires no blood sample or nasal swab, just saliva. To make an appointment online to get the test, go to labtestmonterey.com. For information, call (831) 324-0772 or email us at monterey@arcpointlabs.com . Cost for the test is $155 at the lab, or $200 to be shipped to your home.

ARCpoint Contact:

ARCpoint Labs | 831-324-0772 | 24560 Silver Cloud Court, #103 Monterey, CA 93940 | Website

 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
831-747-7455 
marci@thebuzzpr.net 
https://www.TheBuzzPR.net

A New Generation of Shoppers Discovering the Joys of Vintage Clothing

 Once a modest subculture of aficionados and bargain hunters, the resale of vintage clothing has exploded into a huge market that is growing exponentially faster than retail. 

Salinas, CA, November 02, 2020 - Fueling that market are young, savvy shoppers, many of them millennials and Gen Xers who are shaking up the fashion industry by digging out their parents’ cast-offs and raiding the aisles of Goodwill in search of vintage treasure. 

Workers at Goodwill Central Coast’s Santa Cruz store report a frenzy of activity surrounding vintage clothing. They are seeing a whole new customer base, mostly younger shoppers seeking out the cool, often one-of-a-kind items. 

“It is so exciting to see this trend,” said Santa Cruz store manager Evelyn Matthew. “Younger people want their own personal style and Goodwill helps them with that.” 

Matthew said she notices mostly girls (age range 16 to 21) searching for vintage clothing, and their experience seems to be better when they shop in a group. The only common thread with the variety of skirt, dress and shorts combo seems to be Doc Martens boots and shoes, Matthew said. 

“I am really grateful that they are looking for their fashions at our store,” she said. “It is really fun to see the selection process.” 

Younger generations value the individual and consider fashion as a way to express their own personality. Thrift shopping ensures them the uniqueness of their own style. Many of the pieces found at Goodwill are one of a kind, and they allow for endless possibilities of matching and styling in creative ways. 

A new wave of Goodwill shoppers

 Until recently, younger shoppers did not embrace second-hand fashion. But now it seems they are waking up to the fact that vintage clothes can be adaptable to the latest trends, and that timeless classics can become a staple of any wardrobe. 

Fashion is today the second most polluting industry in the world, followed only by big oil. It is also known for its often-unethical practices regarding workers’ conditions. 

Younger shoppers have a collective awareness of these issues, and are discovering the benefits from buying ethical and sustainable brands.

 They also understand that by buying something second hand, we can extend the life cycle of the items and reduce their environmental impact. This practice ensures that products circulate in the economy longer before hitting the landfills, helping justify all the raw materials and labor deployed in the manufacturing process.

 To get a bargain in the process, these shoppers head to Goodwill Central Coast stores, where we offer seamless, sustainable, social-focused shopping. This enables customers to acquire anything from limited edition streetwear and vintage luxury to thrifted pieces. 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
Chatterbox PR 
Salinas, CA 93901 
(831) 747-7455 
https://www.ccgoodwill.org/

Monterey County Fair Announces Theme Contest for 2021 Fair

  The Monterey County Fair has announced a contest for the community to come up with a theme for the 2021 Monterey County Fair, which will be held Sept. 2-6, 2021. 

Monterey, CA, October 29, 2020 — The Monterey County Fair has announced a contest for the community to come up with a theme for the 2021 Monterey County Fair, which will be held Sept. 2-6, 2021. 

The deadline to submit a theme idea is Dec. 31, 2020. The winner of the contest will receive $100 and two family ticket packages to the fair. The winner’s theme will be used as the official theme of the 2021 Monterey County Fair and used in Fair promotional materials and campaigns. 

To enter the contest, entrants should print or type their entries on one piece of paper. Each entry must be five words or less and a maximum of three entries per person can be submitted. Please do not use the words Pandemic, COVID or Coronavirus. Think happy thoughts about 2021! 

No entries will be accepted that are the same or similar to other trademarked slogans and/or themes. The last five years of fair themes for reference are: 

2020 – “Fiesta”

 2019 – “High Tides and Carnival Rides”

 2018 – “Shake Your Tail Feathers”

 2017 – “Fair Fun in the Summer of Love”

 2016 – “Celebrate 80!”

 Themes can be submitted by emailing them to: entry@montereycountyfair.com . Please make sure each theme entry has a name and contact phone number with it. Entries can also be mailed to the Fair Office at 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA  93940. 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
Chatterbox PR 
Salinas, CA 93901 
(831) 747-7455 
https://www.montereycountyfair.com

 

Gil Basketball Academy Basketball Drills and Instructional Videos Now Available on YouTube

 Due to restrictions necessitated by the pandemic, in lieu of in-person instruction, Gil Basketball Academy has posted a number of instructional basketball videos on YouTube. 

Salinas, CA, October 30, 2020 — Due to restrictions necessitated by the pandemic, in lieu of in-person instruction,  Gil Basketball Academy has posted a number of instructional basketball videos on YouTube. 

The videos cover all aspects of playing basketball, including both individual and team drills on offense, defense, shooting, dribbling, passing and rebounding, footwork and handwork. Most of the videos are between 2 and 4 minutes long, with detailed instruction from Coach Jose Gil, co-founder of the academy. 

Access to the videos is free at https://www.youtube.com/user/GBASalinas.

About Gil Basketball Academy

Gil Basketball Academy was founded by Jose Gil and Eva Silva in 2009, with the goal of providing local boys and girls ages 4-17 of all skill levels the opportunity to learn and play basketball. The Academy, which averages 400 attendees annually, offers regular basketball camps, clinics, field trips, world tours and individual one-on-one sessions that teach youths the skills and techniques of shooting, passing, dribbling, rebounding, and defense. They are coached by Jose Gil and other qualified and experienced volunteer coaches. The Academy’s “home court” is the gym at Alisal High School, where Gil is the Athletic Director. 

Although one of the primary goals of the Academy is to teach youth about every facet of the game of basketball, the larger goal is to teach local youth how to become healthy, productive, and contributing citizens of their community by exposing them to life beyond Salinas by offering tours to other countries. So far the academy has taken trips to New Zealand, Italy, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Hawaii, and plans are underway to visit Peru, Miami and Colombia. 

Gil Basketball Academy

1522 Constitution Blvd., Suite 213,

Salinas, California 93905

(831) 905-1155

https://gilbasketballacademy.com

 

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://gilbasketballacademy.com

Dynamic athletes, Local coach/Educator fill November ‘Ganas’ podcast schedule for Gil Basketball Academy

  Podcast Episodes Available on Apple 

Salinas, CA, October 27, 2020 — Interviewing two athletes from Stanford University who embrace issues of racial and social justice, along with a frontline coach and educator in Salinas, Gil Basketball Academy offers three new “Ganas — Leading from the Heart” podcasts for November. 

Designed to inspire today’s youth through unique views and perspectives on life, “Ganas” (which translates to “desire”) is recorded live from the family garage of Jose Gil and Eva Silva, co-founders of the academy that promotes the sport of basketball in East Salinas through camps, clinics, individual sessions and elite travel teams. But more than that, GBA builds confidence and character in a membership that exceeds 450 local kids ages 4 to 17. 

The “Ganas” podcast officially launched on Sept. 14, with past episodes available on Apple, or through the GBA website at www.gilbasketballacademy.com. 

On Nov. 2, Episode 6 features top national basketball recruit Isael “Isa” Silva, a dynamic point guard from Jesuit High School in Carmichael who committed to play at Stanford. Embracing his Latino heritage on and off the court, Silva is proud of his Latino heritage. The grandson of a bracero immigrant, he embraces the social media hashtag #wolfway, a nod to how wolves can positively impact the ecosystem around them. 

On Nov. 16, the “Ganas” team will interview track and field sensation Marcus Floyd, a sophomore at Stanford. Born and raised in Middleburg, Fla., Floyd was exposed to systemic racism at an early age. At Stanford he has participated in a number of causes to expose hatred and bigotry while enlightening people about the stark reality of being black in America. Floyd finished his first season as the No. 5 ranked freshman in Stanford history, while pursuing a degree in architectural engineering. 

On Nov. 30, the podcast crew welcomes local educator, coach and super volunteer Amparo Saldana. As a first generation immigrant born in Mexico to a family of 13, Saldana grew up learning daily about struggle and sacrifice. Arriving in the United States at age 8 with the goal of attending college, Amparo graduated from California State University-Fresno in 1999, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Biology. She has been an elementary school teacher, school trustee and a longtime coach and board member for Gil Basketball Academy in Salinas. 

The idea for a podcast grew from Gil’s growing frustration in not being able to completely connect with and inspire his GBA kids during the pandemic. 

“You have to think outside the box,” said the longtime coach and athletic director at Alisal High School. “I was used to having hundreds of kids together at one time, and now I have to figure out new ways to have an impact.” 

While the couple have little experience in media (and none in podcasting), they invested in the technology needed to turn the family garage into a functioning studio. 

“Ganas” podcasts (including video with guests appearing via Zoom) span 30 to 45 minutes, and include topics such as sports, health, fitness, leadership, community and more. 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
Chatterbox PR 
Salinas, CA 93901 
(831) 747-7455 
https://gilbasketballacademy.com/