Here are words I never thought I’d be able to say about the Challenge:

WE PASSED $100,000!!!!

The actual total right now is $104,250 with a dozen days to go. The reason for the big jump – almost $15,000 more than two days ago – comes from a very generous donation of $13,600 in the name of Ocean Institute from one of their benefactors (and one of our regular supporters) who prefers the credit to go to them. The Ocean Institute is dedicated to inspiring young people to learn, using the ocean as a classroom. And that parallels part of our Chamber’s mission, which is to help divers learn more about scuba safety, and to be there for them if that lesson doesn’t sink in and things go wrong. We appreciate Ocean Institute’s annual support of Chamber Day (they also take two tables at Chamber Eve) and hope this will help inspire you as well.

Every update from here until May 5 will set a new Challenge record but the point should not be lost that every dollar helps our Chamber maintain a firm financial footing. And as we come out of our COVID-induced hiatus from diving, there’s a chance we’ll see more activity at our Chamber than usual as divers have essentially take a year off but sometimes forget that their skills now may not be where they were a year ago.

So who’s next? Who will keep this fabulous ride we’re on going? Here’s the direct link to the donation page. We’d love to have your name join the others below before May 5: https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp3rzL7cVCFp1rM .

CHAMBER CHALLENGE 2021 - $104,250
(total on 4/23/2021 as of 2PM - previous update 4/21)
New donors are marked with a bullet.

Diamond ($10,000 & up)
• Ocean Institute
Glenn Suhd

Platinum ($5,000-9,999)
Galileo Capri
In memory of Mike Orlando (Antelope Valley Desert Divers)
In memory of Dr. Jeff Sipsey (anonymous)
Mike Emmerman, Pat Stockhausen, & TJ
Cyd Yonker
EJ Gallo (Yonker match)
Susy Horowitz
John & Nanaz Turney
Andrew Pilmanis
Beach Cities Scuba

Gold ($1,000-4,999)
D.A.N. (Divers Alert Network)
Maja Vrvilo
Jeremy & Marlo Wolf Family Fund
SOCDC (South Orange County Dive Club)
John Delaney
In honor of Dan Rood (DiveVets)
Brett Eldridge
Pacific Wilderness
Dr. Ilan Tamir

Silver ($500-999)
Kathy Kalohi
Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Rex Uber
Deep Blue Scuba & Swim Center
Louis Weisberg
Scott Barnes
In loving memory of Capt. Tom Binkley, Capt. Tim Burke, and Kevin Binkley (Kim Lancaster)
In memory of Jared F. Purton (Mark Stabb)
Angi & Ron Burkard
Phillips 66/76 (Burkard match)
In memory of Lee Somers (Martha Somers)
Anonymous XXI
In memory of Tom Wetzel (Patti Wetzel)
Ethan Bush
Honoring all the fallen in our diving community (Kevin Glenn)
In memory of Rod “Nasty” Francis (Kimberly Marotta)
Honoring Hope Turney’s 100th birthday celebration (Jill Boivin)
In memory of Lee Somers, PhD (Karl Huggins)
Don Lake
In honor of AOP Husbandry & Dive staff (Jeanne Sleeper)
James Collins
Larry Thompson

Bronze ($100-499)
• Jacqueline Tregre
Roy Houston
Jim Burke
In loving memory of Patricia O’Brien (Carrie McConnell)
Sophie Lappas
Maureen Sweeney
Marilyn Lawrence
In memory of Manny Chavez (Gwen Noda)
Mike Madden
Diane Witmer
Thomas Arklie
Tina Branca
Brad Crocker
In memory of Ann Heinzer (Doug Lada)
Barnacle Busters LGBTQ Scuba Club
Lionel Galway
Gary Sterling
In honor of Brittany Singer (Pete Hill)
David Osorio
Steve & Erika Ladd
Sajid Ahmed
Stuart Berryhill
In memory of Leon Slavin (Henry Gittler & Lisette Lieberman)
Doug Iverson
In honor of Captain Pat Smith (John Bibb)
In memory of Skip Tucker (Laura Konowalski)
Matt Levinson
Skip Abelson
Zac Bowland
In memory of Mark Mettler (D.J. Mansfield)
Ellen Berman
diver.net
The Sea Divers Dive Club
Mike Couffer
zen dive co
Tom Gordon
Jean & Jerry Kasper
Rachel Lance
Keith Urashima
Susan Harris
Michael Kennedy
Workday Inc. (matching Kennedy)
Mark Perlstein
Tabby Stone & Linda Takvorian
In memory of Bonnie Cardone (Michele & Howard Hall)
Sandra Stewart
James Hayward
Jarrett Lee
In memory of Annette Hench (Ron Hench)
Michael Slavinsky
Peter Croke
Callie Mack
In memory of Marian Bower (David Bower)
Erin Quigley
John Dawson
Captain Kyaa Heller
Fiona Macfarlane
Dana Rodda
Debbie Karimoto
Richard Miller
Cindy Shaw
In memory of Di Krall (Laurie Kasper)
Laura Priess
In memory of Josh Bouma (DJ Mansfield)
Roger Carlson
Sharon DePriester
In honor of Malyssa Perkins (Rob Peyton)
Honoring Eileen Kenney, COVID fighter (Frank Horowitz)

Other (less than $100)
• Deborah Martin
• Pfizer Inc. (Martin match)
Trevor Herndon
Mary-Louise Quinn
Denise Baca
Karen Bunning
Christopher Madsen
In memory of Shirley Healey (Dee Wilson)
In memory of Rod P.I. Francis (Luis Estenfania)
Dan & Betty Orr
William Edman
Debbie Rubin
Brock Dewey
————————————————
Ken Kurtis - Chairman
Chamber Day/Eve 2021
P.O. Box 634
Beverly Hills, CA 90213
(310)652-4990