Street smarts: Amgen celebrates ‘Mission Week’ at T.O. headquarters
Amgen held an Oct. 12 celebration at its Thousand Oaks headquarters as part of the biotech giant’s second annual Mission Week.
Mission Week is an internal initiative that provides Amgen staff the opportunity to step away from day-to-day work, celebrate how their endeavors matter to millions of patients worldwide and be inspired by those patient journeys, according to company spokesperson Megan Fox.
This year’s Mission Week consisted of Patient Voices Panels in Thousand Oaks, Munich, and Singapore.
Amgen Chairman and CEO Robert Bradway briefly addressed the few thousand company employees in attendance at the Thousand Oaks celebration, saying “let’s try to keep the spirit of our mission, which is to serve patients, alive just not this week, but through every week.
“Thank for what you do in service of patients,” he said. “Thank you to the many Amgen colleagues worldwide who work so hard to make this week possible.
“And above all, one last time, a huge thanks to the patients and their families for their willingness to so generously share their stories with us,” Bradway said.
GOOD WORKS
• The PG&E Corporation Foundation is providing nearly $775,000 to local food banks, Meals on Wheels programs and tribal organizations to help feed individuals and families struggling with food insecurity. Some of the money earmarked for the Central Coast includes $29,180 for the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo Count and $7,500 for Meals that Connect in SLO and Santa Barbara Counties.
• Rad Power Bikes has added a limited-edition Flamingo Pink RadRunner 3 Plus to the RadRunner family and can be found exclusively at seven west coast retail locations, including Santa Barbara. Some of the proceeds will go to Cancer Cartel, a Seattle-based non-profit that provides financial relief and support to survivors and those battling cancer.
AWARDS SPOTTINGS
The Oct 14 Ventura County NAACP awards dinner at the Oxnard Marriott Courtyard ballroom drew an A-list crowd including: Sevet Johnson, Erik Nasarenko, Vianey Lopez, Regina Biddings-Muro, Leonie Mattison, Richard Yao, Celina Zacharias, Eboni Ford Turnbow and Taylor Penny. Taking home hardware were Gary LeRoy Harbour, Debra Munday, Dr. Martha McQueen-Legohn, Michelle Ascension, Susan Van Vleet, Daisy Tatum, Cynthia Gonzalez and the family of the late Charles K. White. Under the leadership of Regina K. Crawford, the chapter was named Best NAACP Chapter for California and Hawaii in 2023.
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has begun accepting applications for financial aid during the 2024-2025 academic year. Eligibility requirements and application instructions are available online at www.sbscholarship.org.
READING RAINBOW
The city of Goleta was awarded $4.2 million in a grant from the California State Library that will be used for improvements to the Goleta Valley Library’s (GVL) facility. The GVL recently celebrated fifty years at its location at 500 N. Fairview and provides essential services to the county. The funding is earmarked exclusively for Library-related infrastructure, supporting critical maintenance needs, safety improvements, energy-efficiency, and physical access.
STARTING THEM EARLY
Allan Hancock College hosted over 2,100 local junior high school students at its Santa Maria campus during a lively and informative Career Carnival event held on October 13. The event was a showcase of Hancock’s Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, offering students a firsthand experience of these pathways through a series of engaging live demonstrations. Students also had the unique opportunity to meet industry professionals and take part in several hands-on Career Carnival activities.
FIRST LOCATION
Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its first location in Atascadero on Oct. 17, giving the community and chance to try the food. The newest location in SLO County, which has four, features the brand’s signature Chipotlane, a drive-thru pickup lane that allows guests to conveniently pick up digital orders without leaving their cars, the first in SLO County.
SLO SYMPHONY
The San Luis Obispo Symphony continues their 2023-2024 season on Nov. 4 with Classics II: California Festival. The concert begins at 7:30 PM at the Performing Arts Center SLO.
FINAL SCENES
BREAKFAST FUN: The Santa Barbara County Education Office is hosting its 71st annual Breakfast with the Authors on Oct. 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 4400 Cathedral Oaks Rd. in Santa Barbara.
END ALZHEIMER’S: The 10th annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Thousand Oaks will be held on Oct. 21 with the walk beginning at 9:30 a.m. So far over $100,000 has been raised with the goal being $162,500.
FESTIVAL TIME: The Museum of Ventura County will be hosting the Mountains to Sea Jubilee and Music Festival, an all-day event celebrating 150 years of Ventura County with a family fair and music festival. The Jubilee will be held on Oct. 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Santa Paula, beginning with the free Family Fair at the Agriculture Museum at 926 Railroad Ave.
