Caregivers get a shot at a free cruise
A lucky caregiver will receive a vacation cruise for two and care for their family member as first prize in a contest offered through a partnership between the Burbank-based Home Instead Senior Care, the Stroke Assn. of Southern California and the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center.
Burbank and Toluca Lake residents are invited to nominate family caregivers — or themselves — for the opportunity to win a free five-night, six-day Caribbean cruise for two. The caregiver must be providing care for a loved one who is 55 or older.
In addition, each of four runners-up will receive a gift certificate to a local spa and respite care for their family member.
Those entering the contest must write, in 500 words or less, the reasons why the nominated caregivers deserve to win. Nominations may be submitted online at www.homeinsteadcaregivercruise.com, or emailed to homeinsteadcaregivercruise@gmail.com. They may also be mailed to Caregivercruise Getaway Contest, P.O. Box 2098, Santa Monica, CA, 90406.
Entry deadline is Oct. 31, with the winners scheduled to be announced on Nov. 15.
The Caregiver Stress Management Cruise on the Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas is scheduled to set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Feb. 25 and return to dock on March 2. Stops will be made in Labadee, Haiti, and Falmouth, Jamaica.
In addition to the cruise, the winning recipient and guest will receive airfare to and an overnight stay in Fort Lauderdale. Also in the package will be free respite care from a Home Instead Senior Care professional caregiver for the winner’s senior loved one for the duration of the cruise.
For more information about the contest or Home Instead Senior Care, call (818) 843-8688 or visit www.homeinstead.com/194.
Comedy night benefits nonprofits
It will be a laughing matter when the Burbank Assn. of Realtors Community Service Foundation presents its charity comedy night on Thursday at the Realtors Hall in Burbank.
Those who watch HGTV’s “House Hunters” will be familiar with this year’s host — Suzanne Whang. Design enthusiasts might not realize that Whang also does comedy and won the Best Up & Coming Comedian Award at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival in 2002.
The Realtors foundation is the charitable arm of the Burbank Assn. of Realtors. It has given donations to Habitat for Humanity and scholarships to high school seniors. Karen Volpei is the comedy night chairwoman, assisted by Marion Chase, Linda Roberts and Dan Soderstrom.
The comedy night will also offer live and silent auctions, with prizes such as weekend getaways, gift certificates and tickets to theaters and sporting events. There will also be a Reverse Drawing with cash prizes totaling up to $3,500.
Sponsorships and donation opportunities are still available. For more information, call (818) 845-7643.
Vote could earn funds for float
Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. has qualified as one of the eligible nonprofit organizations in the Chase Community Giving Program.
Chase is giving away $5 million in grant money to 196 lucky groups, and the association needs help getting votes to place it among those 196 grant winners.
The winners will receive from $10,000 to $250,000, according to the number of votes received.
“A grant like that would take care of a huge chunk of our annual float budget,” said tournament member Bob Hutt.
Chase online customers can vote by visiting www.ChaseGiving.com through Sept. 19 and, after signing in, can cast two votes for their favorite groups.
JOYCE RUDOLPH can be contacted at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.