More Than $6,000 Raised at SOSCV! March 29 Fundraiser

By Save Our Schools Castro Valley! (SOSCV!)

 Save Our Schools Castro Valley! (SOSCV!), a non-profit organization established in 2009 to reduce the impact of budget cuts in education, announces the results of its at in Castro Valley.

Local celebrity waiters like Superintendent Jim Negri, School Board Member Jo Loss, and Principal Mark Croghan, encouraged diners to leave special tips directed to SOSCV!.

Steve Ontiveros, Vice President of SOSCV! stated, “The event was highly successful, with the average 'tip' actually exceeding the amount of the dinner bill!”

The average tip per table this year was $41, up from $33 in 2011. Don Jose’s manager Luis Guillen noted, with some surprise, that the money raised to support the schools was almost 20 percent higher than the money diners spent on food. 

All told, the event raised $5,500 from diners and $700 from sponsors like Dan Willits at Direct Sales Floors, David Fosdahl, DDS and Frank Mellon, EBMUD Director. The $6,200 total almost doubled the amount raised at

And the place was humming! Lots of parents showed up with their kids to support SOSCV! and the school district. From about 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the line of people waiting for tables was out the door and crowding the walkway.

“We came late to avoid the rush,” said parent Olga Lewis. “And we still had to wait to sit down. What a great turnout by the community! This says a lot about the passion of people for keeping Castro Valley a great place to raise kids.”

All the funds raised through this spring’s Tip$ for Education event will go towards funding the salaries of teachers so that class sizes in grades K-3 remain at 25 instead of going up to 28. to allow the school district to retain 14 teachers who have received pink slips caused by budget cuts.

Don’t forget: when registering to help at the , sponsored by), you can choose SOSCV! as the non-profit to receive a $5 donation.

This could mean over $5,000 dollars in additional funds from CVSan if everyone selects SOSCV!.

In May SOSCV! competes in the (May 11), has an entry in the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade (May 12), and is running its first annual golf tournament on May 25 at Willow Park sponsored by Merrill Lynch. Everyone is encouraged to come out and support the schools at these events.

SOSCV! is continuing to expand its fundraising activities into corporate and small businesses in the local Castro Valley community as well as pursuing grants, and of course donations from all residents in Castro Valley — whether or not they have children currently part of the CVUSD. SOSCV! believes that everyone will be impacted by the school funding crisis, so everyone needs to be a part of the solution.

To make an annual donation, please visit www.soscv.org/donate.html or contact: 

Steve Ontiveros
Vice President
Save Our Schools Castro Valley!
20885 Redwood Road, #195
Castro Valley, CA  94546
Phone 510.537.3000, x1662:  Fax 510.576.1255:  Email info@soscv.org