Wow. On a number of levels.

First of all, we’re in record-setting territory for the Challenge as we pass $135,000!!! Secondly, today’s update covers the gamut of the various donation levels.

We start with an “In memory of” donation remembering Dr. Arsitides Requicha (from John Turney) at the $5,000 Platinum level. Dr. Requicha was a dedicated and beloved member of the Catalina Conservation Divers. This group of citizen scientists (and some actual scientists as well) regularly monitor various aspects of the Catalina underwater ecosystem and they certainly understand the need to have a dedicated hyperbaric chamber available should anything go amiss. On top of that, John Turney has not only been a longtime member of CCD, but also a longtime supporter of our Chamber.

Next we go the $1,000 Gold level and start with a donation from a new contributor, Dr. James Holm who is also a member of the volunteer crew at our Chamber. As a medical doctor, he certainly knows a little something about how our body physiology might someday call for a chamber ride, and he wants to insure that our Chamber is there.

He’s joined at that Gold level by Melissa Foo, making a donation in memory of Isaac Foo. And because Melissa works for Google, there’s also a corporate match of another $1,000, showing how a corporate matching program can double the value of your donation to our Chamber, regardless of the amount.

On the $500 Silver level, we hear from Mike & Christina Peterson. Mike is also a regular volunteer out at our Chamber and also a physician who can pinch-hit with medical advice if needed.

And we have some Bronze-level contributors as well, including another corporate match.

We’re down to crunch time as 120 hours from when I’m writing this, we will be in the midst of Chamber Evening and heading to our big finish at the end of the evening. How big will that finish be? That’s up to you. With the Evening being almost sold out (3 seats left) and the Day being almost sold out (7 spots left), the potential for large increases in our overall total lies squarely with the Chamber Challenge. We’ve still got people who donated in 2023 who we haven’t yet heard from in 2024. And if that’s you and you’re waiting until the last minute, this is it and the clock is ticking.

How about it? Can we make it to $140,000? Or beyond? It’s in your hands (and wallets). Simply go to the direct link to make your donation: https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_88ko1OUej3lAYbI

CHALLENGE 2024 - $135,175 total (as of 4/26/2024 @ 7PM)
New donors are marked with an asterisk.

Chamborium ($15,000 & up)
Sherry Griswold Foundation
Glenn Suhd

Diamond ($10,000-14,999)
Beach Cities Scuba
Antelope Valley Desert Divers

Platinum ($5,000-9,999)
* In memory of Dr. Aristides Requicha, beloved CCD diver (John Turney)
Galileo-Capri
Maja Vrvilo
Cyd Yonker
E. & J. Gallo Winery (match)
In memory of Dr. Jeff Sipsey (anonymous)
Mike Emmerman, Patricia Stockhausen, and TJ
In memory of Leslie Holtman, Ron Riddle, Greg Tashjian, & Paul Kanner (Dr. Susy Horowitz)
James Collins

Gold ($1,000-4,999)
* James Holm, M.D.
* In memory of Isaac Foo (Melissa Foo)
* Google match (Foo)
Tom Turney & Jill Boivin
Robert Fenton
Francesco Cameli
SOCDC (South Orange County Dive Club)
Andrew Pilmanis
In memory of David Wolf (Jeremy & Marlo Wolf Family Foundation)
Stephen Raganold
Laurie Powers
Jeanne Sleeper
Pacific Wilderness
John Delaney

Silver ($500-999)
* Mike & Christina Peterson
Dale & Kim Sheckler
Catalina Island Marine Institute / Catalina Sea Camp
Eco Dive Center
Thomas Penn
Ann Muscat & Jack Baldelli
Doug Lada
Peter Quinones
James Whipple
Scuba By Design
Louis Weisberg
Scott Barnes
Lenny Ortiz
Carl Felien
Peter Croke
Angi & Ron Burkard
Phillips 66 / 76 (Burkard match)
Dive 949 & West Coast Tec Divers
Ethan Bush
Sean Eckley
Roy Houston
CA Diving News / the Scuba Show
In memory of Tom Wetzel (Patti Wetzel)
Mark Chambers
Mark Stabb
In memory of Dr. Lee H. Somers (Karl Huggins)
Don Lake
Roger Carlson
Brad Crocker
Matt Levinson

Bronze ($100-499)
* Brad Calaway
* Jean-Yves Couleaud
* adeia match (Couleaud)
Doug Iverson
John Kades
Marty Golden
Martin Berman
Mike Madden
Craig Wood
For Nick (Diana Rainforth)
Amanda Raboin
In memory of Bill & Janie Hilton (David Hilton)
Jacqueline Tregre
Kevin Augarten
Kathy Kalohi
In memory of Lee Somers and Barbara Underwood (Jadine Moy)
David Osorio
Dana Rodda
Daniel & Natalie Pio
Debbie Karimoto
Erin Quigley
In honor of William “Bill” Angione (Jens Rubschlager)
Anonymous
The Walt Disney Co. (Rodriguez match)
In memory of Stan Waterman (Howard & Michele Hall)
Larry Thompson
Jim Christensen
Steve & Cathy Kay
Sharkbait Dive Club
Rob & Wanda Dickey
In memory of Robert Woods (Barnacle Busters LGBTQ+ Dive Club)
Alan Blaustein
Sean O’Day
Terra Petry
Stuart Berryhill
Jeff Lewis
Michelle Leonard
In honor of Bob & Tina Kennedy (Jack Sarrett)
Unes Nabipour
In memory of Mars Brownsen (Anthony Bailey)
James Ruddick
Bob & Laura Mosqueda
Mike Couffer
Gina Boster
Susan Bangasser
Lukas Holsen
Henry Gittler & Lisette Lieberman
Cindy Shaw
In honor of Da boy, Daniel Wright
Gary Sterling
Mark Perlstein
In honor of David Pechman, M.D. (Brock Dewey)
Ken Nelson
In memory of Tom Wetzel (Tabby Stone & Linda Takvorian)
Sharon DePriester
Kevin Zagorski
Ellen Berman

Other (under $100)
Deborah Martin
Pfizer match (Martin)
Catherine Eckley
Jay Wilson
Anonymous
Dan & Betty Orr
Lawrence Shack