(Posted 5/5/09 - last updated 5/3/09)

One day to go and we're still hopping because . . .

We passed $37,000!!!

A lot of credit here has to go to Debbie Karimoto and the gang at OCDiving.com. Last year, Debbie did a "challenge-within-the-challenge" for her group and they came up with $5000. This year they wanted to do the same thing. We already announced that they raised $3,686. But they kept going. And we're pleased to say they're adding another $2,334 to that total, to bring them to grand total of $6,020!! So that moves them up to Platinum, means we light a total of six candles from them, and also makes them (at this point) the #1 contributor to the Challenge. Good work.

We also want to sing the praises of Dan Rood and the DiveVets group, a bunch of folks who dive Veterans Park (hence the name) on a regular basis. Dan usually has a bucket out throughout the year, collecting a dollar here, a dollar there, and this year the DiveVets group collectively has raised $750 for the Challenge, putting them on the list of Silver donors.

Add to that a host of $100 donations (and a $200 one from La Verne Eco Dive Club - also one of our table sponsors) and the total keeps racking up. The big question right now: If we're at $37K on Tuesday, could we hit $40K by Wednesday night????? The answer lies with you. Keep those donations coming. So . .

Who's next? Who will get us closer to $40,000???

CHAMBER CHALLENGE 2009 - $37,125 total (Updated 5/5/09 @ 10AM - last updated 5/3)
(* New donors are marked in bold with an asterisk)

Platinum ($5000 and up)
* OCDiving.com
Michael Kane

Gold ($1,000-4,999)
Anonymous
Hollywoodivers
Ocean Institute
Beach Cities Scuba
Robert Wagner
Mike Emmerman
Pat Stockhausen
T.J. Emmerman
Scuba.com
DiveNav, Inc.
Pacific Wilderness
Sport Chalet
Laurie Kasper & Ken Kurtis

Silver ($500-999)
* DiveVets
Eo Ong (Burbank Dive Club)
ConocoPhillips/Union 76
Jim & Nancy Krasne
Scuba Schools of America
Karl Huggins
CA Diving News/The Scuba Show
Dr. Susan Grant

Bronze ($100-499)
** la Verne Eco Dive Club
* Anonymous UCLA Bruin
* Erin Quigley
* Kathryn Cody
* Hal Greenberg
* Marvin Oliver
* Angi Froehlich
* ConocoPhillips/Union 76 match
Jonathan Kerr
Mark Stabb
Elaine Jobin
Maria Carillo High School
Matt Levinson
Derek Smith
David Osorio
Joe Takahashi
Allen Dekelboum, MD
Thomas Carr
The Deep (RVM Associates)
California Wreck Divers
Gorman Dive Adventures & Travel
Mark Lacaillade
Diver.net
In memory of Robert W. Myers
Mark Windham
Chris Rybak
ConocoPhillips (Rybak matching grant)
Steve Benevides
Meg Donat
Jim Hall/Lobster Festival
Dr. Louis Weisberg
Laguna Sea Dwellers
Frank Huntley
Mark Carry
South Orange County Dive Club
Ocean Adventures
Lost Patrol Dive Club
Roy & Linda Houston
Great Escape Charters
Deborah Huh
Nicole Jurisch
In memory of Fran Ollweiler
The Sea Divers
Debbie & Derek Karimoto
Rex Uber
Renee Calderwood
Brock Dewey
Divematrix.com
Marc Hall
Team CK
Michael Swinney
Kevin Augarten
Susy Horowitz
www.indianvalleyscuba.com
Walt & Tori Watson
Randy Barker
Jim Haw
Gary Sanders
Henry Gittler
Jerry Nickelsburg

Others (less than $100)
Laurel Valker
Hedy Henderson

Ken Kurtis
Chairman, Chamber Day/Eve 2009
www.chamberday.org
310/652-4990