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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Celebrate Cristin - Join us on Monday, July 30th to offer our thanks to Cristin and to wish her well as she and husband Paul begin their new lives in Washington. Sonoma Raceway Board Room, 29355 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 6:00-8:00 pm.
- Operation Bicycle - It really is moving this summer, down the road to the new Vailetti Plaza. An Open House will be scheduled, so stay tuned!
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A LETTER FROM THE BOARD
Dear Friends of Teen Services,
Our July newsletter usually begins with joyous smiles as we reflect back on the success of Cowboy Cab, and the event this year was definitely the best ever (see additional info below). However, that joy is tempered a bit as our Executive Director Cristin Felso will be leaving Teen Services, and we realize that this Cowboy Cab was her last at the helm.
On June 18th, Cristin sent out a
letter informing the community that she and her husband, Paul
are moving to Washington to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids and to pursue an opportunity for Paul's construction company. She emphasized the difficulty in making such a decision because Teen Services is such an important part of her life.
Cristin began supporting Sonoma Valley teens as a volunteer (far left in photo) at El Nido - one of the two organizations that eventually merged to form Teen Services Sonoma. At that time, she was barely older than the teens she was working with, but it was clear even then that she had a gift for generating trust and respect as well as high expectations. The teens responded. They still do.
Teen Services has come a long way since the El Nido days and Cristin remained dedicated throughout. There were mergers, moves, and times of near economic collapse, but today Teen Services Sonoma (TSS) is an extraordinary success story. Under her leadership as Executive Director for the past seven years, the organization has gained clarity of mission and the respect of the community. We have an extraordinary staff and a dedicated board all eager to take Teen Services to the next level. There is much to be proud of. Last year more than 300 teens participated in our Ready to Work program, preparing them for successful employment in a career of their choosing. Our three micro-businesses are actually no longer micro, accounting for ~30% of our revenue and employing 35-40 teens each year.
It is not possible to describe the full impact that Cristin has had on this organization and on thousands of teens during her tenure. She has also inspired and motivated all of us who have had the pleasure to work with her. We cannot thank her enough for her dedication, passion, and caring leadership.
The Search Committee has begun the process of finding our next Executive Director, who will continue and grow the amazing programs that Cristin has initiated and nurtured. She will stay on and work remotely as needed until we have a new ED who is firmly in place. We are confident that we will find such a person as Cristin leaves the organization at a time of positive growth, strength, and stability.
Sincerely,
Co-presidents, TSS Board of Directors
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AND NOW FOR SOME GOOD NEWS!
Thanks to all of you,
Cowboy Cab brought us a net of
$130,000 to support our programs!
Despite the "breeze" that came up toward the end of the event, the setting at Tyge William Barn at Cornerstone was beautiful and the program went off without a hitch. Cristin welcomed the crowd and provided a brief update on Teen Services before inviting everyone to enjoy a delicious dinner provided by Ramekins.
The program began with the recognition of two of the 18 teens who volunteered their time to serve at the event. Karen Torres was awarded the John Randall scholarship which will come in handy as she heads off to San Diego State and Cristin congratulated Alondra Perez who will be participating in the EPIC program (Engineering Possibilities in College) at Cal Poly this summer. Our congratulations to them both.
Following an energetic live auction, the audience was inspired by the words of Magda Perez as she reflected on her experiences at Teen Services and the importance of a single member of the TSS staff, Jodie Taylor who provided the support she needed to take control of her life. (Photo upper right)
A huge thank you to all of you who raised your paddles for both the auction and the Fund-a-Need, to our 2018 TSS Champions (see below), to everyone who helped to make this such a special event, and always to our teens.
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OUR 2018 TSS CHAMPIONS
At this year's Cowboy Cab, Teen Services Sonoma (TSS) named Chuck and Cathy Williamson as their first annual TSS Champions. Cristin introduced Chuck and Cathy as two special friends to Teen Services: "
I cannot even begin to enumerate the times and the ways that Chuck and Cathy have been there for us over the years - whether it be to establish our commercial kitchen at the center, offer guidance and advice, bring fresh fruits and vegetables, applaud and encourage our Ready to Work graduates, kick off our End of the Year Appeal, help with our ad campaign, the list goes on and on. They are always there for us."
It was a fitting end to a wonderful evening to have Chuck and Cathy put aside their cowboy hats, don a new TSS Coach hat, and pose for a picture with the teens they have supported through the years. Chuck stated, "We are very pleased to accept this award. We can all remember our first job, and we are delighted to support Teen Services Sonoma. We are pleased with the continuing impact that TSS is having, reaching parts of the community that are increasingly in need of more support."
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BEHIND THE SCENES AT COWBOY CAB
If you loved the décor, the design, the creativity and comfort, then you will join us in thanking Board member, Tammy Samut (left), her vendors
Rion Designs,
Off the Grid
,
BrewPublik
, BLK LBL Events (the DJ), Bright Rentals, and all of her amazing team who volunteered their time, expertise, and materials. They made this event shine like it never has before.
And thanks to
Miller Oberlin
for donating his time and expertise to capture the fun of Cowboy Cab with his photography. And to Russ Johnson who is responsible for the
wonderful posters
of our TSS coaches with their teens. To his wife, Pat Meier-Johnson for the program design. To the teens who volunteered their time to serve at the event or baked the wonderful Cowboy Boot Cookies and the appetizers served. To all the volunteers who "worked the event" before, during, and after. And of course, to all listed below.
Our Thanks to
Food & Beverage Donors:
Abbott's Passage, Brew PubLik, Gundlach Bundschu, Highway 12 Vineyards & Winery, Julie Atwood - Atwood Ranch, Kunde Family Winery, Little Vineyards Family Winery, Lovin' Oven, Ramekins, Random Ridge Winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, Sangiacomo Family Vineyards, Sarah Stierch, Silverado Vineyards, and TR Elliot Winery
Venue Donor: Tyge William Barn at Cornerstone Sonoma
Raffle Donors:
Blue Star Gas, Cold Stone Creamery, Geo's Pool, Spa & Solar Company, Robert Lee, Mead Clark Lumber & Hardware, and Wooley Weeders/Napa Valley Lamb Company
Auction Item Donors:
35:50 Club, Benziger Family Winery, Buena Vista Winery, California Academy of Sciences, Cold Stone Creamery, Crush Beauty Bar, Deerfield Ranch Winery, de Young Museum, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Doug Mo & Dr. Marcia Charles-Mo, Dude Ranch Association, Eagle Vines Golf Club, Friday Harbor House, Hanzell Vineyards, Steve and Holly Kyle, Lovin' Oven, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, Mary's Pizza Shack, Maya's Legacy Whale Watching, Mike Felso and Chef Jason Aldous, Morton's Warm Springs, Oakland A's, Oberlin Photography, Operation Bicycle, Opus One, Parkpoint Health Club, Platypus Tours, Ltd., Puente Internacional, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Sarah Stierch, Sign of the Bear, Silver Horse Designs, Silverado Vineyards, Sonoma Golf Club, Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma Raceway, LLC, Sonoma Valley Film Festival, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, Stone EDGE Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery, Sunflower Café, Sweet Scoops, The Red Grape, The Frame Factory, Transcendence Theater, Uppercase Teas, Vintage Aircraft Company, White Stallion Ranch, Williams Selyem, Wine Country Cyclery
Friends of Cowboy Cab:
W.A. Anderson, Barry Ansell, Ashley Arn, Dr. Lorraine Ashton, Elizabeth Avendano, Jennifer Blackwood, Kimberly & Simon Blattner, BLK LBL Events, Amanda Burrows, Sarah Carroll, Catherine Chambers, Heidi & Mike Chipchase, Steve Cohen, Simon Cutler, Joe & Ellen Cutler, Sandy Drew, Jason Enzensperger, Kim Enzensperger, Cristin Felso, Dennis Felso, Diego Flores, Silvia Flores, Francesca Fifis, Friedman's Home Improvement, Filemon Guido, Phyllis & John Gurney, Tommy Hamilton, Doug Hanford, Carol Hoover, Pat Meier-Johnson & Russ Johnson, Eileen & Lou Keister, Paul Kenny, Deb Kweller, Kelley Lauridsen, Erica Lee, Holly Lee, Joelynn Lee, Jody Leeds, Harrison Mantas, Norma Martinez, Kurtis McIntyre, Larinda Merkins, Tyler Merkins, Itzel Montes, Gary & Elsa Nelson, Oberlin Photography, Off the Grid, Pamella Olson & Donald Ryndak, Maureen O'Neil, Adrian Palenchar, Parsons Lumber & Hardware, Kathryn Pencil, Sammie Pencil, Alondra Perez, Magda Perez, Marcia Petersen, Sandy Pulido, Sydney Randazzo, Rion Designs, Alejandra Ruiz, Angela Ryan, Sage Marketing, Tammy Samut, Rusty Schweikart, Judy Scotchmoor, Taylor Serres, Soils Plus, Solairus Aviation, Sonoma Mission Gardens, Sonoma Valley Wholesale Nursery, Christina Standley, Jere V. Starks, Emily Steele, Rick Suerth, Barbara Talbott, Olivia Thorgersen, Karen Torres, Vadasz Family Foundation, Veronica Vences, Merlise Wan, Warren Construction & Roofing, David Wells, Liz Tunney-Williams, Wine Country Nursery
And finally to our Cowboy Cab Sponsors!
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