Businesses get honor for giving

Oakland Tribune, Oct 27, 2005 by FROM STAFF REPORTS,

PLEASANTON -- Six businesses that have supported local schools and community projects will be honored today at the Pleasanton Business Expo.

The Business Heroes were selected by the city of Pleasanton and Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce for practicing Pleasantons Community of Character values, which include compassion, honesty and integrity.

The six businesses are Granite Professional Insurance Brokerage Inc., Windermere Properties of the East Bay, Accusplit, Hometown GMAC Real Estate, Wells Fargo Bank (Hacienda Branch) and Oracle Corp. The businesses will be honored at a 4 p.m. reception at CarrAmerica Conference Center, before the doors to the Business Expo open.

The Business Expo, which takes place from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., is organized to provide businesses a place to network and showcase their products and services. This years event is sponsored by Pleasanton Garbage Service, Tri-Valley Internet and UNCLE Credit Union.

More than 70 businesseshave paid $345 to $645 to reserve tables at the event, said Wendy Gutshall, manager of communications and special events for the chamber. Admission is $10, and includes food, beer and wine from local caterers, wineries and breweries.

The contributions made to the community by the six companies selected as Business Heroes include:

-Granite Professional Insurance Brokerage, Inc. has supported the Pleasanton Unified School District through financial donations, in- kind donations of employees time and expertise, and President Shawn Edgintons outspoken support for childrens art programs.

-On June 17, 40 employees of Windermere Properties of the East Bay painted, moved furniture, cleanup, weeded flower beds and even stamped books for two elementary schools in Oakland. The project was part of the companys annual community service day.

-Accusplit helped Pleasanton put on its annual Fourth of July celebration in Lions Wayside Park, and the company has been active in supporting the school districts healthy lifestyle programs, providing pedometers, advice and guidance.

- Hometown GMAC Real Estate co-owner Mike Peel helped coordinate a blood drive at Foothill High School last week, and hosts Halloween and Easter carnivals in the parking lot of his office on Main Street.

-The Hacienda Business Park branch of Wells Fargo Bank contributed $8,500 to the Donlon Elementary School Hurricane Katrina fund-raising drive, enabling the students to donate a total of $17,000 to the relief effort.

A few days after a fire destroyed the computer lab at Foothill High School, Oracle Corp. offered to replace the lab, at an estimated cost of $250,000. The company recently made a $10,000 donation to Pleasanton Parternships in Education, and matched its employees contributions to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Oracle underwrote the citys Pleasanton Give Hope pasta feed, allowing all proceeds to go to American Red Cross. Some Oracle employees volunteer their time in Pleasanton, working with nonprofit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and Hope Hospice, and partnered with a local Rotary club to help refurbish a school for teenage mothers.