Golf tournament to raise money for Hyland Teen Center

(Originally published in the 4/12/16 edition)

   The Kyle Hyland Foundation for Teen Support will be holding its first Kyle Hyland Foundation Golf Tournament Charity Fundraiser at the Mare Island Golf Club on Sunday, May 15. All proceeds will benefit the foundation’s new teen center.

   The foundation was set up by Barbara Gervase after her 16-year-old son Kyle Hyland’s suicide in December 2014 with the goal of promoting the awareness of teen suicide rates and providing a support network for teens suffering from anxiety or depression. One of the main objectives was the establishment of a teen center where Benicia youth ages 13 to 19 could come together, decompress, have fun and receive emotional support if they needed it. After nearly a year of looking for a reasonable space, Pastor Jerry Pollard of Gateway Church agreed to lend space for the center in an unutilized building behind the church at 1035 Military West. 

   The Hyland Teen Center officially opened on Jan. 22 with limited hours. Since then, it expanded its hours to 3 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 1 to 8 p.m. The center features game tables, a lounge area with a TV for video games and movies, a stage with a sound system and musical equipment, art supplies, a snack bar and a study area for teens to do homework. Additionally, on select Fridays the center will hold movie nights or theme nights such as Karaoke Night or Game Night.

   However, Gervase says some items are still needed such as a storage shed and laptops for teens to do their homework on. 

   “We are in need of extra funds so that we can sponsor activities, activity nights and theme nights at the teen center,” she said. 

   An ongoing fundraiser is currently being held through the crowdfunding site YouCaring.com, in which a link can be accessed through the foundation’s website. The golf fundraiser will be another way to raise money for the center.

   The format of the fundraiser will be a four-person scramble in which team members tee off on each hole and then determine which shot they liked best and mark that spot with a tee or ball marker. The other team members have to place their ball within one club length of the marked spot. Prizes will be given for the lowest team score, longest drive, closest to pin and longest putt. The fee is $110 per golfer or $400 for a four-person team until Friday, April 15 when the prices increase to $125 and $450 respectively. Entries will only be accepted through April 30. The entry will will include a continental breakfast, lunch, 18 holes of golf and a variety of balls. 

   The foundation is looking for local businesses to help sponsor the tournament and provide prizes for the ensuing silent auction. Details on sponsorship levels can be found at KyleHyland.com.

   The tournament will be held on May 15 at the Mare Island Golf Club, located at 1800 Club Drive in Vallejo. Registration and breakfast will begin at 9 a.m., and a shotgun start will take place at 11 a.m. For a registration form and additional information, visit KyleHyland.com. 

Rookies to cook ribs to benefit Benicia High's athletic department

(Originally published in the 4/8/16 edition)

Saturday, April 24 will be a day to honor Benicia High School's extracurricular programs. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a classic car show will be held along First Street to benefit the BHS Panther Marching Band. As patrons gaze at the wonder of a 1968 Buick, Rookies Sports Bar and Grill will be hosting its Rib Cook-Off to raise money for Benicia High's athletic department.

   Rookies has been hosting its annual Rib Cook-Off for five years now. Bar manager Alex Storelee says her father, Rookies owner Rob, probably came up with the idea when the bar received a new smoker grill.

   "He decided a cookoff would be a good way to raise money for our schools," she said.

   Interested participants will be part of a team, who will have to pay a $50 entry fee.  Each team will receive two racks of traditional St. Louis pork ribs. Entrants will provide their own supplies and equipment, such as tables, chairs and cooking utilities. The teams will unload their vehicles and supplies as early as 6 a.m., as cars will not be allowed in the cooking area after 8 a.m.

   The teams are allowed to use whatever spices or sauces they want, but the ribs may only be cooked over charcoal or wood. Propane and bottled gas is prohibited.

   The judging will begin at 2 p.m. sharp. 

   "It will be a blind taste test judged on things like taste, tenderness and flavor," Storelee said. 

   There will be first, second and third place awards for winners.

   Additionally, there will be barbecue plate specials featuring meats cooked on the big red smoker that inspired the cookoff to begin with. There will also be a sports memorabilia raffle featuring items from Bay Area sports teams. Entrants can win paraphernalia associated with teams like the San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors, including a signed photograph of Stephen Curry.

   "It's a fun day for everyone of all ages," Storelee said. "It's a way to support our local high school sports program as well as our local business."

   The cookoff will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 24 at Rookies, located at 321 First St. Stop by Rookies to pick up your entry form or look in the Herald for Rookies advertisements. All teams will need to send at least one representative to attend a kick-off meeting at Rookies, 6 p.m., on Friday, April 22. For more information about this event, contact the bar at 746-7665 or visit its Facebook page at Facebook.com/rookiesbenicia.

Grad Night fundraiser to be held at Panda Express

 (Originally published in the 4/7/16 edition)

   Chinese restaurant chain Panda Express will be hosting a fundraiser for Benicia High School's Grad Night tomorrow at its Benicia location.

   Grad Night is held the night of Benicia High's senior class graduation as a way for recent grads to have a fun, safe evening following their big milestone. The night will feature food, games and other activites and will be held Saturday, June 11 from 9 p.m. to approximately 3 a.m.

   However, funds are needed to put Grad Night on, so Panda Express will be holding a fundraiser tomorrow from noon to 10 p.m. The proceeds from all menu items purchased during this time will go toward Grad Night.

   Panda Express is located at 804 Southampton Road. For more information, contact the restaurant at 745-3763. Additional Grad Night fundraisers will be held at Kinders BBQ, Wednesday, April 20; Round Table Pizza, Tuesday, May 3; and Panda Express again Friday, May 20.

Fundraiser amasses more than $7,000 in honor of Gavin Buchanan

(Originally published in the 2/25/16 edition)

   The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation hosted a Dog-Wash-a-Thon at Pet Food Express Saturday to raise money for bulletproof vests for police dogs. The foundation’s goal was to raise $2,000, but due to strong support from the community, it ended up raising more than $7,000, with online donations still coming in. 

   Chairwoman Brandi Narvaez said she was elated by the results.

   “We are just stunned by the community outpouring, both financially and just people showing up,” she said.

   Gavin Buchanan, 8, was killed in September alongside his father, Adam, and mother, Molly McAffee in the family’s Greenwood cabin. His 16-year-old half brother, Nolen, was arrested on suspicion of the homicide, and his case is currently being handled in El Dorado County.

   Gavin was very passionate about the safety of police K9s. When he was 5, he donated his entire allowance and chore money to police K-9s. This effort so touched Benicia police officers that he even became an ambassador to K-9s. 

   Gavin’s family set up the nonprofit foundation in October to honor his commitment to protecting K9s. The first fundraiser was held over the weekend at Pet Food Express, where customers would spend $15 to have their canines washed at the shop’s self-service dog wash stations. All the proceeds went to the foundation which in turn will be donated to help outfit the Benicia Police Department’s new K-9 unit vehicles with proper safety gear, including window guards, door panel guards and alert systems. 

   Patrons also had the option to get custom embroidered pet collars and meet local officers, and they were also treated to K-9 demonstrations. 

   “We had three separate K-9 demonstrations,” Narvaez said. “We were lucky enough to have Palo Alto police present, and the two Benicia K-9 units did some really fun stuff.” 

   Officer Brad Young of the Palo Alto Police Department did obedience demonstrations with his department’s K-9 Eddie. Benicia officers Kirk Keffer and Jake Heinemeyer did additional demonstrations with K-9 Bak and K-9 Atos and also answered questions about the day in the life of a K-9 officer. 

   The event drew a large crowd and amassed $7,000 in donations. Two anonymous donators gave $500 each. Those who could not be at the event in person mailed checks. In a parallel to Gavin’s dedication, the first donor of the day was a young Benicia resident named Amaya who donated the entire contents of her piggy bank to support the protection of police dogs. 

   Narvaez said she was very appreciative of the event’s turnout.

   “People came by to tell us their stories about how they knew Gavin or his family and how they wanted to support the local community,” she said. “For the financial reasons, we are related but also really grateful for the community outreach as well.”

   Narvaez said the foundation has other fundraiser ideas planned for the spring and has received calls from local businesses about fundraising concepts, but she said nothing is set in stone. 

   “We don’t have anything formal to announce yet, but we have a couple ideas brewing for the spring and summer,” she said. “We’ll definitely reach out to the Benicia community and let them know where we’ll be hosting our next fundraising event.”

   For more information on the foundation, visit GavinBuchananMemorialFoundation.com or call Narvaez at (707) 365-5424. 

Photo courtesy of Brandi Narvaez

K-9 Eddie of the Palo Alto Police Department jumps a fence during an obedience training demonstration.

Fundraiser held to honor late 8-year-old's passion

(Originally published in the 2/17/16 edition)

   The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation will be holding a fundraiser at Pet Food Express, Saturday. The funds will go toward the same thing the slain Benicia third grader was so passionate about in life: donating bulletproof vests to police dogs. 

   Gavin, 8, along with father Adam and mother Molly McAffee, was murdered in the family’s Greenwood cabin. Gavin’s half brother was arrested on suspicion of having committed the murders. 

   In October, members of Gavin’s family established The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the goal of carrying on his legacy.

    “He was very passionate about protecting K-9 law enforcement officers,” Gavin’s cousin and foundation Chairwoman Brandi Narvaez said. “He was definitely passionate about this cause, and we are continuing that in his honor.”

   Shortly before his 6th birthday, Gavin had converted all the money he had earned from chores and through the tooth fairy into a $100 bill. He then walked into Pet Food Express, which was holding a fundraiser for Bay Area police dogs, and donated the money.

   Gavin’s efforts did not go unnoticed in the community. He was subsequently featured on a poster with Benicia police dogs outside Pet Food Express and was the subject of a 2014 Benicia Herald article. When asked why he would give up all his money to help a police dog, Gavin told then-staff reporter Donna Beth Weilenman, “So he doesn’t get shot and killed.”

   The foundation will be holding its first big event Saturday at Pet Food Express. 

   “They are offering us the use of their self-service dog washing station,” Narvaez said. “Any patron who comes in that day and purchases a dog wash token for $15 or any increment will wash their dog and enjoy their day.”

   The proceeds from the $15 purchases will go to the foundation who will then donate the money toward outfitting Benicia Police Department’s new K-9 unit vehicles. There will also be local law enforcement officers on site to do K-9 demonstrations and stations where people can have their names embroidered on dog collars.

   “We’re going to have a fun energy and a fun crew all the way around,” Narvaez said. “It’s gonna be a really really great day.”

   The foundation has more events planned for the summer, but Narvaez said the board is still waiting to see how Saturday’s event will go.

   “We are looking to really knock it out of the park, but we’re also clear we need to learn how to do this,” she said. “In the future, we will make announcements about upcoming events.”

   Narvaez expressed gratitude to the community for its support.

   “We really want to make sure we stay partnered with them, express our gratitude and really look for the long term of continuing Gavin’s legacy,” she said. “We’re working with local law enforcement and really making sure that this little 8-year-old has a legacy that we can all be proud of.”

   The fundraiser will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20 at Pet Food Express, located at 838 Southampton Road. A Benicia Police Department K-9 demonstration will be held at 2 p.m. For more information on the fundraiser or the foundation, contact Brandi Narvaez at (707) 365-5424.