It's year No. 20, and USS-POSCO employees are getting ready to walk the walk.
Literally.
About 70 workers from the Pittsburg plant will join thousands of others for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation annual Walk to Cure Diabetes. The walks are held in October in four Bay Area locations.
Since 1991, the employee-driven fundraising has collected more than $1.5 million for diabetes research.
This year's goal for the local steel manufacturing company is $125,000.
Company president and team leader Bob Smith was inspired to support the diabetes research foundation 20 years ago because of the nonprofit's "strong commitment to find a cure for diabetes."
"We know the money we raise will be used well, and that it will make an important difference in the lives of people with type 1 diabetes," he said in a news release.
To achieve this year's goal, the team went on a major letter-writing campaign, sending hundreds of requests to all they know.
To keep up the fundraising spirit, the company offers incentives, such as T-shirts and awards.
Smith and the employees are grateful for the "many charitable individuals and organizations who share our support of JDRF. It's a real tribute to the generous nature of our employees and business partners."
One of the other important aspects for the USS-POSCO team is that the walk serves as a bond for the participating employees.
"As we organize carwashes, barbecues, golf tournaments (and the like), there is definitely a sense of teamwork and camaraderie," Smith said.
So dedicated are the Pittsburg workers that the company has been the highest-producing corporate Bay Area walk team for the past seven years.
"We remain motivated because this is a cause we believe in. Many of us have friends or relatives who are affected by type 1 diabetes, and we know of the difficult challenges they face. It is gratifying to be part of that effort," Smith said.
The Pittsburg company employs nearly 1,000 people and converts hot rolled steel coils into three main product lines: cold rolled sheet, galvanized sheet and tin plate.
The walk is held at family-friendly venues that feature entertainment, food and children's activities. The locations and dates are: Oct. 9 in Santa Clara; Oct. 16 at the Oakland Zoo; Oct. 23 in Monterey; and Oct. 30 in San Francisco. For more information, go to www.jdrfbayarea.org/walk.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Wow -- 1,600 pounds of food. That's a lot of groceries.
That's exactly how much Antioch's Dhyanyoga Center recently donated to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
Jan Handel, the center's administrator, said it decided to help because "we believe it is our responsibility to help those who are suffering as best we can," adding that it's grateful to be able "to serve our community in this way."
About 35 folks gathered from the nonprofit educational and spiritual center to get donations and buy the food to give away.
In addition to the gift of food, Handel says the center provides "a safe and peaceful place for individuals to go within, to heal their hurts, to stretch, to grow and to connect with their own divine nature. ... No small thing in these challenging times."
The center, which opened in 2008, focuses on "serving as a vehicle for emotional, physical and spiritual well-being."
Located on Contra Loma Boulevard, it offers a variety of classes and workshops pertaining to the broad subject of yoga, including yoga postures, stress reduction, meditation, creativity, vegetarian cooking and yoga philosophy. For more information, call 925-779-9660.
Contact Trine Gallegos at trineg@att.net, or East County Editor Craig Lazzeretti at clazzeretti@bayareanewsgroup.com.