As the holidays arrive, thoughts turn to giving and gratitude, and we’re no exception. We’d like to take a moment to share the philanthropy we’ve been doing over the years. Most important, our family wants to thank you for giving us the opportunity to support causes close to our hearts.
More and more businesses share their corporate philanthropic efforts every year. Though we’ve been hesitant to broadcast our charitable work — we give because it’s good and right, not to be self-congratulatory — we’ve come to realize that you, our customers, might appreciate knowing the good work you support with your patronage of our services.
And if it raises the profile of the organizations near and dear to our hearts, encouraging even a few members of the great Sub-Zero and Wolf community to join us in the cause, all the better.
Mission: “Accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat Type 1 Diabetes and its complications.”
JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, which accounts for 5%-10% of all diabetes diagnoses. For a sense of scale, diabetes affects nearly one in ten Americans and is one of the leading causes of disability and death nationwide, including California.
As a recent example of JDRF’s success, on September 28, 2016, the FDA approved the Medtronic artificial pancreas system. As the world’s first automated, closed-loop insulin dosing system, the artificial pancreas represents a life-changing breakthrough that allows people with T1D to stay more consistently closer to their target blood sugar levels.
Over the past decade, JDRF has been instrumental in the system’s creation, investing more than $116 million in diverse artificial pancreas research projects. But more work remains to be done to achieve JDRF’s vision of a world without T1D.
Ryan Bergo, CEO of Box Appliance, shares his son’s fight with T1D: “We got involved with the JDRF when my son Tristan’s type 1 diabetes was diagnosed at the age of 3 ½. This disease did not run in our immediate family, so this was a total shock to us. Trying to give a 3-year-old shots before he eats is extremely hard to do as a parent. I can only imagine how hard it was, and still is, on him. He has to live with this his whole life.
“Tristan is now 9 and honestly the best kid ever. And he isn’t letting his diabetes hold him back. Last year he got third place in all of 2nd grade for running 119 miles during his lunches at school. That was a very emotional day for us. Just to see him overcome all he goes through to do something like that on his own was awe-inspiring.
“Tristan loves sports — running track, soccer, basketball and baseball. We were determined to encourage and support that. We want him to live a life just like any other kid would and try to provide the best support we can so he can have that life and be healthy. It is a challenge on a daily basis, though, and no two days are the same. We just have to be supportive and be there for each other.
“At last year’s annual JDRF One Walk™ we created a group called ‘Tristan’s Troops.’ We walked with thousands of others to support change for the future for Tristan and everyone else affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D). We want to help Tristan and those like him live a normal life, without the threat of diabetes preventing them from doing what they love or casting shadows over their day-to-day lives.
“The One Walk is JDRF’s flagship fundraising event and draws more than 900,000 people who raise money for T1D research each year. Many have T1D themselves, and many more are friends, family or coworkers of someone with the disease.”
If you’re interested in walking with others who believe together we can turn Type One into Type None, please visit this page to find a walk near you.
Mission: “Save Lives and Bring Hope to Those Affected by Suicide.”
The AFSP does everything within its power to raise awareness of and prevent suicide, especially among youth. The organization funds scientific research and provides resources and aid to those affected by suicide. It also offers educational programs for professionals and educates the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention, while promoting policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention.
Since its founding in 1987, AFSP has established local chapters in all 50 states and reached thousands of people who are at risk for suicide, as well as those who love and care for them.
Sommer Bergo, COO of Box Appliance: “We were asked to donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention by one of our employees after she lost a 16-year-old nephew to suicide. We like to support our employees, and when they approach us with personal issues such as this we will always be willing to help in any way possible. For the past eight years, she has walked in Oakland’s Out of the Darkness community walk to fight suicide and support AFSP’s bold goal to reduce the suicide rate 20% by 2025, and we have helped out whenever we can.”
Please help them reach their goal by clicking the Donate button on this page. All donations are 100% tax deductible and benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), funding research, education, advocacy, and support for those affected by suicide.
Mission: “Honor America’s Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.”
The VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) provides high-quality health care to more than 235,104 veterans in San Diego and Imperial counties. VASDHS has one of the largest research programs in the VA nationally, with a budget of $43.2 million (FY 2015).
One of its initiatives is the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP), aimed at promoting recovery in service members, particularly those returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The program is housed in the Aspire Center, a 40-bed residential treatment facility that provides veterans temporary housing, counseling and classes for an average of 60-120 days.
Ryan: “We were approached by a motivational speaker to see if we could help out with this worthwhile cause. Because we have a number of family members and employees who served in the military, we felt this was an easy decision to get involved. San Diego is a military town, and we will help out in any way possible trying to give back for all that these soldiers have done for our country.
“The VA San Diego Healthcare System needed washers and dryers, so I was approached to see if we had any scratched or dented products we could donate. We did not at the time, but that wasn’t going to stop us from helping out. Ultimately, we bought them three brand-new sets of laundry appliances and coordinated with them to have the appliances installed.”
Thank You
Thank you for letting us share a few stories. We are tremendously grateful for your support of our business and helping us thrive over the past 40+ years. Happy Holidays.