| Events |
Bowl-o-Rama Raises Over $7,800 for Local Charities
On Wednesday, October 19, 2022, the San Mateo County REALTORS® Foundation returned to Bel Mateo Bowl for its popular Bowl-o-Rama fundraiser event bringing together over 200 SAMCAR members, staff, and friends for an energetic evening of bowling, raffle prizes and fun, raising more than $7,800 to benefit housing-related charities in San Mateo County.
View photos from the Bowl-o-Rama on Flickr
Volunteers from SAMCAR's Special Events Committee welcomed guests to Bel Mateo with a special wristband—hot pink for bowlers and neon green for spectators—and sold raffle tickets for ten prizes, including gift baskets donated by SAMCAR members and gift certificates donated by local businesses, listed in the event program.
After a two-year gap, the excitement to return to Bel Mateo for this popular fundraiser event was undeniable. As one of the signature #SAMCARGivesBack fundraising events, the Bowl-o-Rama directly benefits the SAMCAR Foundation so the group can provide grants to local charities for the remainder of the year.
In second and third quarters this year, the SAMCAR Foundation has granted a combined total of over $44,000 in awards ranging from two to seven thousand dollars each to ten charitable organizations.
Funds for these grants are raised at fundraiser events like the Bowl-o-Rama in addition to direct contributions by SAMCAR members. At the beginning of 2022, more than 600 REALTORS® made a voluntary contribution to the SAMCAR Foundation with their dues payment, helping start the year with over $18,000 available for charitable grants.
Each quarter, the Foundation Council reviews grant requests from local charities and proudly supports organizations including HEART of San Mateo County, StarVista, Samaritan House, Caminar, CORA, Rebuilding Together Peninsula, LifeMoves and many others.
The Bowl-o-Rama not only to provides vital funding for Foundation grants, but also creates opportunities for the face-to-face interactions and relationship building that are essential to the real estate business, in an informal and fun setting.
SAMCAR events are possible in large part thanks to generous contributions from annual sponsors—organizations that make annual contributions to SAMCAR to fund association activities and charitable fundraising.
Planning and staffing these events are only possible with the support of SAMCAR staff and the Special Events Committee, a group of SAMCAR members who volunteer their time to plan and staff events, co-chaired by Toni Burrows and Michelle Velez in 2022. Special thanks are owed in particular to volunteers including Celeste Pagan and Frank Vento for running the guest check-in table, to Ann Palermo and Stacy Guthmann for making announcements and drawing raffle winners, to Michelle Velez for running a highly successful 50/50 drawing, and to Andrea Bologna, Anne Rodrigues Toth, Anthony Bolivar, Craig Thorson Lee Brock, Marlin Handley, Naz Amir, and Toni Burrows and the entire committee for procuring amazing raffle prize donations, generating ticket sales, helping to set-up the venue, selling raffle tickets, and assuring guests felt welcome and had an enjoyable time at the event.
The SAMCAR Foundation encourages housing-related nonprofits operating in San Mateo County to apply for grants from www.samcarfoundation.org Grant application deadlines February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 to be considered during that quarter.
Press Release 
