My latest email about good news in the East Bay was so well received that I decided to do it again! Read on without fear, because nothing here should make you wring your hands with coronavirus worries, seethe with political rage, or think about murder hornets (eek!). Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for your reaction to the extreme cuteness of baby animals pictured below.
Awww! Berkeley’s fuzzy falcon triplets are growing up
Coronavirus couldn’t stop the spring rites of the peregrine falcons who nest up in UC Berkeley’s Campanile. Tune in to the live webcams and watch them grow before your eyes. Annie and Grinnell have raised their chicks on the bell tower since 2017 and have fans in 45 countries.
Here’s some good news about great restaurateurs who are giving back to frontline workers and their families: Basil Pizzeria in Oakland recently delivered 60 pizza care packages to the staff at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital! The donation is part of the #FeedTheFirst campaign that Abio Properties has been supporting along with Best Coast Burritos. Consider being part of #FeedTheFirst campaign and donating a “Pizza Care Package” to ER and ICU staff around the East Bay. Donate here.
Get your Warriors fix
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr teamed up with longtime friend, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, to create a limited-edition podcast about coaching championship-level NBA and NFL teams. Proceeds from the podcast, titled “Flying Coach,” have been going to COVID-19 relief efforts such as the World Relief Kitchen.
In other Warriors news:
The organization joined other Bay Area pro sports teams to donate 50,000 face coverings to healthcare providers.
And in honor of National Teacher Appreciation Day, the Warriors Community Foundation and Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced a $250,000 donation to Oakland and SF schools to buy more than 650 laptops for low-income Bay Area kids trying to learn from home while sheltering-in-place.
Not so alone: Helping hospital patients stay connected to loved ones
When Abio Properties Realtor Vikki Bearman’s daughter, Rachel Arganek, was unexpectedly hospitalized for three days, she was alone except for the nurses and doctors who tended to her. The 26-year-old’s parents couldn’t be by her side because John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, like others across the country, enacted no-visitor policies to guard against the spread of COVID-19.
That meant Rachel’s cell phone was her lifeline to her mom, dad, and twin brother Jonathan. But like anyone who ends up in the hospital without a charger, that connection to the outside world lasts only as long as the cell battery.
Many patients can feel isolated and scared, despite a hospital staff’s best efforts to keep them comforted.
That’s why Vikki, whose daughter has a genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome that can cause complications resulting in frequent hospitalizations, began purchasing dozens of cell phone chargers in bulk and donating them to John Muir Medical Center. Vikki realized many patients and families could be in the same situation.
“I couldn’t talk to her. It was awful. She went in for an infusion and didn’t come out until three days later,” Vikki said. “I want people to know that the little things they do right now can really matter to a lot of families.”
Vikki invites community members to join her in donating new, inexpensive chargers with long cords to area hospitals. Donating chargers in their original packaging is key because it eliminates the possibility of coronavirus contamination.
Contact the hospital nearest you to learn about their donation guidelines. To connect with John Muir Medical Center directly, email JMHdonations@johnmuirhealth.com.
Drive-thru pomp and circumstance
Hayward’s Moreau High School celebrated its graduating seniors with a socially distanced, drive-thru graduation ceremony, ABC-7 News reported. Each grad drove onto campus and, without leaving the car, received a goody bag from teachers and administrators. They also received a yard sign for their yard and their cap and gown. Students found the event was a bittersweet end to their high school experience. Watch it here.
How’s the weather up there?
Oakland Zoo recently welcomed Kijiji, a young 11-foot-tall female giraffe. Kijiji was moved here from a Kansas City zoo after the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan recommended that Kijiji would be a great genetic match for one of Oakland Zoo’s male giraffes. The almost 2-year-old still has a few years to go before she is interested in breeding.
Watch her cozy up to her new herd in the video above. We bet you’ll find it pretty sweet and soothing.
You also might get peeks at Kijiji on the zoo’s live and interactive behind-the-scenes channel. Consider subscribing to the broadcast to support Oakland Zoo while it’s shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just for fun: When REALTORS® Work from Home
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