The Fremont Podcast
The only podcast dedicated to telling the stories of the people and places of Fremont, CA. The diversity and integration of people and cultures of Fremont truly makes it a special place. This podcast explores these stories.
The Fremont Podcast
Episode 134: Living Charitably with Mickelina Monico
We are so excited to have Mickelina Monico back on the Fremont Podcast for a return visit. Two years ago, Mickelina joined us with her father Mark as they shared where they were in the beginning of their journey for Race for Research. In this episode, Mickelina joins us again as she is preparing to host her third annual fundraising gala. Tune in for an inspiring update and projection for Mick an her efforts towards cancer research.
Mickelina shares her journey from reviving a family fundraising tradition to raising over a quarter million dollars for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through her Race for Research galas. Her passion for psychology and neuroscience has shaped her career path towards becoming a psychiatrist while maintaining her commitment to philanthropic work.
• Balancing college life at St. Mary's College of California with running a successful nonprofit
• First Race for Research gala surpassed its $50,000 goal by raising $100,000
• Second annual event raised $130,000 despite losing partnership with the original racetrack
• Racing drivers serve as "celebrity waiters" during the gala, competing for tips to raise additional funds
• Visiting St. Jude Hospital in Memphis provided profound insights into how the hospital creates hope
• The "Live Charitably" philosophy extends beyond donations to everyday acts of kindness
• Third annual event scheduled for May 9th at Tachi Palace Casino Resort with capacity for 400 attendees
• Event features silent auctions, celebrity waiters, and inspiring speeches from St. Jude patients
For more information about Race for Research, follow @sjraceforresearch on Instagram, Race for Research on Facebook, or visit raceforresearch.com.
For info about the the 3rd Annual Gala.
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Petrocelli Homes has been a key sponsor of The Fremont Podcast from the beginning. If you are looking for a realtor, get in touch with Petrocelli Homes on Niles Blvd in Fremont.
Ohlone College Flea Market happens every second Saturday at the lower parking lot at Ohlone College. You can find out more information about them not their webpage or on their Instagram.
Minutemen Press in Fremont is your community city go to for all your community print and design needs. What ever you want to print or customize, Minutemen Press is here for you. You can find them at 44141 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538.
This is a Muggins Media Podcast.
Ooh, oh yeah. Every day is a new day here in Fremont. All the things you need are here today and you meet some new people might as well and wave and say hey something where people can see you and you can see your guests, because that makes a difference.
Speaker 3:So yeah yeah well, I feel like definitely putting something that you're. I'm going to oh yeah, sure, sorry, no, no, you do you, I'm just going to adjust everything. So you're good. Is that good? That's perfect, Okay.
Speaker 1:That's good.
Speaker 3:But I feel like, if you're going to put in how do I say this the quality into some work, yeah, you have to be interested in the work that you're doing exactly in order to to make it your best right, you know what I mean because otherwise it's just whatever it, just something has to go out and that's never going to be. That's right. Yeah, never going to work. Well, that's right, yeah, never going to work.
Speaker 2:Well, and so in this case, what I want to do is I just want to be able to um, like I want to kind of stay on a regular rhythm. I don't want to. I don't want to just be like, well, whenever I feel like it, I'm gonna put an episode out. Uh, I just don, and now I just need to like stop doing it again. So in this case, I can have a goal, Like in my mind, a goal would be at least twice a month, you know, maybe one on the first and one on the 15th, or one, you know something like that.
Speaker 2:And then if I do more than that, then great, and if I do fewer than that, then it's okay. Just because I want to, you know, space things out well in a manageable, manageable time.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, I think it's the same way for things that I go through with Race for Research. We have outside lives of our passions you know, unfortunately, but it's just. It's what allows us to do stuff like this. So, as much as I wish I could quit school and just do race for research I totally would, but it's what's gonna allow me to do it long term.
Speaker 2:So most people and most of the non-profits that I've talked with in even fremont and I've interviewed, it's run mostly by volunteers like Like you have a few people that are employed, but even you know what they're employed, you know the amount that they're employed for is not enough really to keep them, you know, functioning on a really high economic level, you know. So there it is. It is when you, when you decide that you're going to volunteer for something and you're going to do something, you kind of want it to be something that you just really love and that you are able to make. You know your thing. So, um, what you've done with your uh, with your race for research?
Speaker 3:All of our board members do not get paid anything. And we've tried to because obviously all of them come to our event. And we've tried to say you know, board members will give you your table or tickets at cost. But our board members are just. They say no, we want to pay the full amount because that's why we're doing this is because that's the exact purpose is to raise money for St Jude.
Speaker 3:It doesn't feel right to raise money for St Jude. It doesn't feel right and you know it's. I would love eventually in the future, if this is something that does happen to take off that big, to be able to pay them back for all of the work that they've done. But as of right now, they just don't want it because their hearts are just so in it. And I love it I mean I want to give them something for it, but they just refuse.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Yeah, yeah, good for you to have a board that is thinking that way.
Speaker 3:They're awesome. That's great. They're the best. That's awesome, cool, yeah, well we're going to.
Speaker 2:I mean, we have some great footage here already, but I'm going to get started.
Speaker 1:Hey.
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Speaker 2:I know it's been two years, two or three years. So yeah, I just checked. So your episode when we recorded our first conversation came out on March 3rd of 2023. Oh my gosh, yeah, so this is March 7th that we're recording this, so it's almost exactly two years ago.
Speaker 3:That's crazy. Yeah, yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 2:So yeah, so I'm excited about hearing everything that's happened since then. It's so good to see you.
Speaker 3:I know.
Speaker 2:And we got you on camera so everybody else can see you as well. You look great.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Yeah, I know, I was listening to a little bit of my podcast from two years ago. And I was like, oh God, this time I really need to redeem myself. No, it was good.
Speaker 2:I think everyone who hears themselves on audio recordings or whatever everyone's like. Oh, that's the way I sound, oh.
Speaker 3:I hate it. Oh God, my voice. Yeah, that's me, that's definitely me.
Speaker 2:Well, I became a critic for a number of reasons. I was a critic of my own, like the way that I ask questions or the way that I lead conversations. Even the way that I talk, I'm like, oh man, why did I say that again? Why do I repeat myself so much? And so I've become a critic. But the only way you can really be a good critic is by going back and listening to yourself, and you have to deal with a lot of that. Oh man, do I really sound that way?
Speaker 2:So, so it is nice to actually have an editor where they can just be. They're the ones listening to you.
Speaker 3:You're not the one. Oh, you don't have to do it. I don't have to do it. Yeah, an hour.
Speaker 2:Right and go back and say let's cut that out and cut that out, you know, and so anyway, yeah, so when last time? So we determined it was two years ago, yes, um, so we were here last time. I don't think that you had had your first fundraiser. No, you like, we were talking about, like when your dad used to do it, and it was something that yes had not been done for decades.
Speaker 3:Right or at least god, like 20 years, I think he's gonna listen to this.
Speaker 2:He's gonna be like hate you for that he, he's like it was at least a century ago. I'm just kidding. Oh my gosh, he's going to. Yeah, I'll tell him.
Speaker 3:I won't tell him when this comes out, don't worry.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 2:So I just remember us having this conversation and talking about this dream and vision that you had of picking up something that your family had been doing, you know, years before, and you were wanting to start doing it yourself yeah, and so you had not had your first uh gala, your fundraising event for this race for research, um, and I think that, like on instagram, we might have done a follow-up where we're like, oh great, this is how much you raised, but we didn't bring a lot of attention to it. So I'm super excited to have you on here, because you've already been through one year.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:This one coming up is a third.
Speaker 3:Third Wow. I know.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. So first of all, tell me what's new in your life since we last talked, and then let's talk about, like, how the last two fundraising galas have turned out for you.
Speaker 3:What's new.
Speaker 2:What's new in your life?
Speaker 3:Minus race for research. Yes, just like in life, like what are you doing?
Speaker 2:What are you doing with your spare time? Well right now you don't have spare time, I know.
Speaker 3:I got accepted into St Mary's College of California in Moraga, and so I'm there on a scholarship. I'm an undergraduate and I'm studying behavioral neuroscience. So once that's over I'm hoping to go to med school and then do my residency and eventually become a psychiatrist.
Speaker 2:That's awesome.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm studying for right now.
Speaker 2:So a quick question on that then, like what inspired you to choose that route? Psychiatry, yeah.
Speaker 3:I have just always had. I feel like it's very common right now for a lot of people to be very interested in psychology and I that was. That was me, um, in high school and I took literally every single psych class. I was at Livermore high school and, um, I took an ROP class where I worked with second grade children, Um, and it was called developmental psychology of children. So I did that every morning. I got to work with second graders in their classroom and I just I think that combining my love for, for combining my passion for, I think, helping people and being so exposed to St Jude and sick children or children in need, Um, and meshing that with my passion for psychology, and the human brain.
Speaker 3:I, I've just always wanted to do something within psychology, and you know I want to make a decent living, so, um, no, but seriously we have to do that. Yeah, um, it's important but in all seriousness, I've always been extremely interested in the brain okay, as well brain chemistry and neurobiology.
Speaker 3:I am a total nerd for all of that. I'm not gonna lie, I'll own it. Um. So psychiatry, just kind of it just pointed in my direction and um to be introduced to saint jude and have all of that, you know, tie in with this, pediatric psycho psychiatry is exactly where I want to be.
Speaker 2:That's cool. I love that yeah, very cool is there anything that you, I know, I know you're? I mean, you're fresh into college, right, so is there anything that surprised you as far as, like, choosing this path or getting into college, anything that like?
Speaker 3:you know? Yeah, I would say you know. I submitted my application. I got accepted as a psychology student and mid first semester I my major okay to behavioral neuroscience, just because it fit more of that psychiatry description, um, and I just was more interested in that anyways, um, but I will say when I did get into St Mary's I was really, really excited for the college experience yeah um and just you know, meeting new people, going out and being at a fun dorm yeah and I was very excited for the social aspect of it, um and I got to St Mary's.
Speaker 3:oh wait a minute you were like that but um that's awesome I got to saint mary's and my first night in the dorm was actually like the most peaceful night I've ever had of sleep ever, and that was like my turning point where I was like, oh god, what did I just get myself into? So I have probably been home from college every single weekend that's hilarious, it's just not a party school.
Speaker 3:It's not that kind of school, um, and that's okay. You know, first semester I was really really upset about that and cause I just had all these expectations of going out and having, you know, all this fun and making new memories, um, and that's just not how it worked out for me. But I think it was honestly a blessing in disguise, because I love it. Now I've really gotten used to the culture of it and it's just, it's really gotten me in tune academically, because I think that if that lifestyle did happen to me, I wouldn't be able to really pursue my passions as well, and I'm grateful that it didn't work out in the way that I intentionally wanted it to. If that makes sense.
Speaker 2:You're still finding ways to have fun though, right?
Speaker 3:Yes, good, yes, my friends are still home in community college.
Speaker 2:That's great, that's great.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I've, I've done. I did a few visits to Chico and then Long Beach soon which should be really fun. So, but not every weekend. I'm really not an every weekend kind of college student I really can't. I can't with my major. Well, I mean, I think, I think too.
Speaker 2:I mean I yeah, I don't know I went to college late, I was older, I was working a full-time job and you know, I didn't. I didn't graduate from college till I was 30. So you know, I was, maybe I was a loser, I don't know. But, um, but the thing that, uh, the thing. I think there's something about the college experience that really, I mean, it helps you discover who you are. And you find yourself in the middle of all of that. So you might have certain expectations where you're like you know, I want to have this amazing social life, I want to party, I want to do all of this because you don't have that regular experience, you know, going into college. But then when you get there and you're like, you're like, ok, didn't quite happen the way that I thought, but then you spend like the first year discovering who you are and like what is you know, you know what does Mick look like in this new setting?
Speaker 2:you know, and you're like I'm okay with actually getting a good night of sleep every once in a while and um, and not, you know, out there partying every night, but um, still being able to hold onto the friendships and the social life that you have in other places.
Speaker 3:Right and it's. It's been such a positive experience. I mean, for a while I thought I was going to transfer after this year, but, um, I, I, I have the opportunity to go out and do that when I want to on the weekends. Um, some of my friends, you know, go to different schools and I'll school hop there you go, but no, but seriously um, it's just, it's with what I'm doing and my extracurriculars and my major.
Speaker 3:Um, I'm a STEM student, so I I'm slammed during the week and all I want to do on the weekends is just sleep you know, and throughout high school I I didn't take it seriously enough, um, to get into.
Speaker 3:You know, my dream school is Stanford. I'm hoping to do my residency there Hopefully we'll see and I just had wished that I had taken it more seriously my senior year, and so for me now having a new opportunity, I feel like I can redeem myself by taking college more seriously to get into a good med school. So that's kind of the approach I've had on it this second semester. But yeah, I think everything happens for a reason and I love being close to home. I love being close to my family and my loved ones and my friends and my dogs. I don't think I would want it any other way honestly, that's cool.
Speaker 2:I think you know, as you were saying, that I kind of had this idea that I think you might have to like.
Speaker 2:I think there's a choose when you're going to pay the cost for the kind of life that you want to have.
Speaker 2:In other words, you can pay the cost as a freshman and just go out there and party it up, but then you don't get the opportunity of getting into a good med school, you don't get the opportunity of landing these other good postgraduate schools or opportunities, and so you pay the cost on the front end when you actually had nothing to offer. Versus you know, versus you do well in undergrad. You land a good med school, you land a good graduate school, you're actually making money at some point where you can actually say now I can actually have fun and I can do this. It's not going to cost me a lot more and I actually have a lifestyle that will allow me to be able to just enjoy you know, pick and choose when I want to have a good night out or when I want to just want to you know pick and choose when I want to have a good night out or when I want to just want to.
Speaker 3:You know Right, and you know I have had really, really fun nights out, but for me it's just what I'm doing now, I think, is so much more fulfilling for my life than if I were to be going out doing that every weekend.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:Not saying that I don't like to have a good time but not every weekend. So, yeah, I completely agree and I think that also, you know, I have a long-term goal, I have a long-term vision and I'm not picking a career that I'm just picking for the money. I'm picking it because it's my passion, it's what. I want to do, and you know when I think about you know, maybe I'll do this instead of studying for my test. It's like, well, I, what about? You know? What about, like, my?
Speaker 3:dream we're just going to land me Right, it's like I can't have all these missed opportunities add up and be disappointed that I didn't, that I didn't put enough time into what I, what really matters to me. That's great. I love it Very cool.
Speaker 2:Very cool. Yeah, let me tell you a little bit about Jennifer Petrucelli of Petrucelli Homes. In 2023, I had the opportunity of working with her directly to help sell a home. An organization that I was working with was trying to sell a home in Fremont and I recommended that we use Petrucelli Homes as our real estate agent, and I'm going to tell you the process. Everything that happened in order to be able to get the house on the market and get it sold was a breeze. Working with Jennifer Petrocelli was one of the best things that we could have done in selling that home.
Speaker 2:If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Bay Area, reach out to Jennifer Petrucelli of Petrucelli Homes. You will not regret it. So, wow, you have a lot going on there. The reason we're here, I guess, in some sense, is to find out about your race for research and all the efforts that you've done in that. So, um, what happened on your first two galas that you had? Like? Were they success? What did you do? How much did you raise? Like, what did you learn from those?
Speaker 3:Our first year in 2023,. Our goal of our total amount was, I think, 50,000.
Speaker 2:Was the goal 50,000? 50. Okay.
Speaker 3:It was either 30 or 50, I think yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm sure if we go back and listen to our original episode, which would be episode actually 61. Okay, I made sure I knew which one it was. We could probably remember what the goal total was, or the total of the goal was at that time.
Speaker 3:I'm pretty sure it was 50,000, but I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure and I just remember I was so, so nervous to find out during the event because by the end of the night, the end of the gala, we do a big check reveal. So while we're doing our closing remarks, we have about because by the end of the night, the end of the gala, we do a big check reveal. So while we're doing our closing remarks, we have about 10 people or so in the back counting up all this money, all this cash, adding up all of these donations, so that we can announce at the end of the night to all of these people, what they did and what they raised, and I just remember, oh my gosh, standing on the stage so nervous because my aunt knew the number and she did not tell me.
Speaker 3:I was like. I was like, what is it? What?
Speaker 2:is it? Did she give you any indication?
Speaker 3:No, she was like I am not telling you, and I was like this is my thing, Like. I demand to know, and I just remember.
Speaker 2:Is she on the board? Did you threaten to remove her from the board? I should have. I'm going to do that actually. There you go. You need to tell me, or else yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I will. I will President's orders.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I just. They revealed the check and flipped it around and announced one hundred thousand dollars for our first.
Speaker 2:Oh, my word, that's amazing.
Speaker 3:A year ago from that day, I would have never, ever, ever thought in my life that we would have raised $100,000. Because at that time in my life, in 2022, in May, that was a really rough period for me and that was about when I really started thinking about Race for Research, I think, and just thinking about how it's something that I really wanted to pursue, and to just go from that rough spot and, a year later, raise a hundred thousand dollars in one year was just. It just blew my mind and at that point, it was something where we realized this is not going to be a one-time thing. This is, this is a long-term plan like this is going to become a business that that's cool, and so we did it again our second year and our goal was a hundred thousand.
Speaker 3:Um, that was a really stressful year because I don't know if you remember, but our first year we had tied the event to a race track and we had had a race the following Saturday night.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:Um, and that was our incentive to get people to our event, is you know?
Speaker 2:come see the race, participate in that and then stick around for the. Or was it the opposite way around it?
Speaker 3:was come to the event, stick around for the race the next day. Um and so for racers, it's a lot for them to just travel up from all over California um, just for an event, you know. So we needed that racetrack and in, I think, around December or January of 2024, 2024. Yeah, it had closed.
Speaker 2:Oh my word.
Speaker 3:So I found that out and my heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was like, I was so terrified stomach yeah.
Speaker 3:I was, like I was so terrified, um, and I just remember being so scared that event.
Speaker 2:Um and I, they did the check reveal. So where did you, where did?
Speaker 3:you hold the event the same place. Same place. Yeah, because we had already by that point in December, we had already placed the um hold on the ballroom since August of 2024.
Speaker 2:So there was just no race then.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that was really scary, because how do you advertise and how do you get people to your event when you don't you know? I mean, people don't want to drive three hours to an event, and that's understandable. So it was kind of a toss up, like you know, that event jeopardized in some way and it was, so I was devastated, I was so nervous. But anyway, fast forward.
Speaker 2:To the check reveal.
Speaker 1:To the check reveal.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:And this time my aunt let me watch her draw in the numbers on the check. And I just saw one. And then I the check, and I just saw one, and then I saw three, and then I saw zero.
Speaker 2:And I just lost my mind.
Speaker 3:I was on stage crying so hard.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:We had raised $130,000.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:That's amazing.
Speaker 3:So to come from that struggle and raise more than we did even the first year was just incredible. So at this point we've raised over a quarter of a million dollars in two and a half years.
Speaker 2:That's great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's great it has been the most positive experience of my life.
Speaker 2:That's great, yeah, and.
Speaker 3:I think a lot of other people's too.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I think it's something that this community really needed.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Yeah, that's awesome. So we're on the verge of the third annual event correct yeah. So what is the date for this? This is May 9th 9th.
Speaker 3:So May 9th, it's a Friday night. And then we are having a race this year.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:So I know it's a little far from Fremont, but we did move it down to the Central Valley in Lemoore. Okay, it's a small town near Hanford, Tulare. Do you know where I'm?
Speaker 2:I know where the Central Valley is.
Speaker 3:A lot of people don't know where Lemoore is, that's okay.
Speaker 2:Well, the good thing is, we have, you know, google Maps or whatever.
Speaker 3:Google.
Speaker 2:Maps or whatever we can get there. We can find it. It's like 30 minutes away from Fresno, I think Okay.
Speaker 3:But it's at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:It's a really nice Indian reserve resort. Okay, beautiful, it's gorgeous, and what's exciting is that we've outgrown their ballroom space so much that we've actually had to move our event to the bingo hall oh, my word, yeah, that's cool, so we'll see, yeah, um, how many tickets we sell this year. I definitely think it's going to be a sellout at 400 wow yeah, wow, that's awesome, yeah.
Speaker 2:So how many have you had in the previous? How many, how many tickets have you sold for the previous events?
Speaker 3:We have sold out both events at 300. This year the capacity of the ballroom is 750. We're aiming for 400 because a lot of the families are going to be new Moving it down there. It's a whole new culture down there of people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it presents a whole different list of challenges, I'm sure, right.
Speaker 3:And you know Bay Area people and Central Valley people are very different in the best way possible.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But yeah, so we'll see how people respond to it, but I think just giving it room to grow, I mean I think we are going to put a capacity of 400- on it this year. So it's definitely like first come, first serve on tickets. But yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:So what do these events look like? Like, I think we talked about this before, but it's been two years, right? So what do the events look like for the gala? Like what kind of things if people buy a ticket, they kind of things if people buy a ticket, they show up. If I buy a ticket right and show up. Like what am I expecting? Like what am I going to be doing? What's my? You know? What do I have to look forward to?
Speaker 3:right um, I'll just go through the agenda of the night yeah, um. So basically, people show up, um, we'll open the doors to the ballroom and we'll have a silent auction of over 100 auction items. They're not just all racing we have trips and beauty items, food items, memorabilia sports things anything you can think of. There's something there for everyone. Experiences everything. And after the silent auction closes, then everybody will go to the ballroom in the gala, Everyone will take their seats and I will be doing a short opening speech this year.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And then we will have dinner. Um, we'll do some really cool things with the celebrity waiters. One thing that we do is each waiter, um, oh, I should probably mention this actually um, so I'm saying celebrity waiters because they are actually our very own race car drivers okay who's they sign up up to serve dinner to all of the guests who come.
Speaker 3:So we all dress up in our fire suits and we serve a salad, a dinner and a dessert, and one thing that we do that's really cool to raise money is we have a tip jar for every driver on the table that they're serving. We have a tip jar for every driver on the table that they're serving.
Speaker 3:And it's funny because they get so competitive with their tips, because the person, the waiter, who raises the most amount in their tip jar, wins a free custom fire suit which is at value of, like I think it's, either $1,200 or $1,700. Yeah, it gets really competitive.
Speaker 1:So it's something to compete for for sure or $1,700.
Speaker 3:That's awesome yeah, it gets really competitive.
Speaker 2:So it's something to compete for for sure. Oh yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 3:It's crazy we have all the little kids who do it. They run around with their tip jars and they're asking people. They're like can you spare some change? That's awesome. Yeah, so that is really fun to see. And the little girl who's won it the last two years she's won it both years in a row her dad, her dad's wife, her mom is on the race for research board and, oh my gosh, they ask so many sponsors for money. I swear she's raised like 400 4,000 in her tip jar.
Speaker 2:Oh my word, that's crazy. Yeah, I know I'm like what are you doing?
Speaker 1:She has like five suits Well you need to like.
Speaker 2:as soon as she becomes old enough, you obviously need to hire her to be a part of the board she can put this on her resume.
Speaker 3:Exactly, that's exactly right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she can like I have raised the most, most amount of tips every year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean she'll get a job at a restaurant really really fast Um but yeah, so anyway we do that, and then after dinner we're going to have a really cool speech um with, uh, an ex St Jude patient. Her story is absolutely, absolutely incredible. Her name is Tierra Herr and she was um a St Jude patient when she was five, six, seven. She was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and, um, she was. This was when research was still pretty new. So she was in a group um of other children just like her with neuroblastoma and they tried all these um different methods to try to cure them. And she was allergic to this one study that they did, or one what am I trying to say? This one procedure that they did.
Speaker 3:And she was the only one allergic, and she was the only one who survived. Oh, my word, so she was a huge part of developing research in that way to show people this is what works and this is what doesn't work. So she is just a miracle that she's here today.
Speaker 2:That's crazy.
Speaker 3:She attended my dad's event back in the day, so she has huge ties to us, so she's going to be doing a speech introducing somebody else who has a similar story.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And then after that we'll do a fund-a-need, so people who want to do donations or anything like that and we'll also have a live auction. I think some of our live auction items this year are a street bike valued at $8,000.
Speaker 2:Oh, my word that's cool.
Speaker 1:It's really cool, valued at $8,000.
Speaker 3:I know it's, it's really cool Um trips to uh Vegas and um Bali and um I'm trying to think of what else. We were going to do the country music awards, but they got canceled this year, I know, yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, I did not know that. That is crazy.
Speaker 3:Um, but yeah, we have a night in the pits with the pits, with a really well-known sprint car driver. Nice, super, super cool stuff.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, so something there for everyone.
Speaker 3:And then we'll do closing remarks and the check reveal that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very cool. I love it. So it's going to be a really fun night.
Speaker 3:It's pretty much the same format that it's always been just some new material and we have a great MC Um his name is Caleb. Hart. He announces for some of the biggest micro sprint races. Um there are in the country and um yeah he's he's amazing. He works at my biggest sponsors um company, joe's racing products. So, he super close to my family. He's amazing. We have an amazing auctioneer we hired this year. His name is Freddy and he is so funny and so entertaining.
Speaker 2:That's awesome.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Sounds like you're picking the right group of people to make this happen. It's picking up, yeah.
Speaker 3:We're definitely getting some more experience to know what our event needs to make it better. I think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Do you have any nerves going into this? This year I know you had a change with the race being canceled. I guess you're moving into a new event space so that's obviously going to create a little bit of uncertainty. But any nerves going into this a little bit? I have a few.
Speaker 3:I have a lot different than I've had the last two years. I feel like within the last two years it's more so of are people going to like it? Are people going to donate, are people, you know? Is this something where people are going to want to come back? And obviously it's proven yes, it's proven to be a huge hit. Um, I do have a little bit of nerves because this is almost a completely brand new group being in the Central Valley.
Speaker 3:Um, um. This is about three hours away from where our previous event was, and this is a whole new group of drivers so a lot different people, but I I think that it will be something they really enjoy um, I I think this group will have a lot of fun with it. Um, I think my main concern is probably our formatting for this year. Um, it's, it's a big ballroom or it's a big bingo hall so it's it's hard to make that look good yeah so we're gonna do our best.
Speaker 3:Um, we've hired, you know, decorating services and gotten tons of donations on how to really make it look like a formal gala, because this is not something that we want to look like a spaghetti feed or banquet right, I mean this is like you know. Our philosophy is you spend 100 bucks, you're gonna get your money's worth. You're gonna get a good dinner, you're gonna get an incredible night and incredible memories that you're gonna remember forever. This is not. You know you, you put a ticket in a basket and see who's drawn.
Speaker 3:You know this is a really formal event.
Speaker 1:This is a gala, that's great.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I think just being in a new space is always nerve-wracking.
Speaker 2:I think, yeah, that's cool. So, since you've raised these funds over the last couple of years and these monies have been given to St Jude's, like, have you seen I know it was kind of your vision that you wanted to recapture um two years ago and to to make this a reality, as you've been able to maybe experience giving those monies to St Jude and being able to see what they're accomplishing what have what has inspired you to continue to keep doing this? Like, have you been able to go and see what the money that you have um raised is going toward and how has that affected you personally as you continue to look at doing these into the future?
Speaker 3:Yeah, soune um of 2024, I had the most incredible opportunity, probably of my life. Um saint jude had invited me and my dad to go back to the hospital in memphis in tennessee um for a new generation event.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And the event was not super targeted towards me. I was still a senior, I just had graduated.
Speaker 2:Just graduating, yeah.
Speaker 3:As a senior of high school, and so this was mainly fraternities and sororities who were there to kind of learn how to embrace philanthropy within their fraternity or sorority. And so I was put with the college students, but I wasn't I'm not in a fraternity or sorority. So I was just kind of walking around um and I have a really good friend, hollis um belger, who does another St Jude nonprofit called Juggling for Jude. She's raised almost a million dollars.
Speaker 3:Oh, my word so incredible person and so she was there as well. So we kind of teamed up the entire week and really stuck together, was I got to see and listen to guest speakers, panels, patients the most incredible speakers I've ever heard in my life. One thing that really, really, really stuck out to me was I got to hear St Jude's CEO speak, and it was. I mean, he is just such an admirable man. One thing he said that really really stuck with me always that.
Speaker 3:I'm going to even incorporate into my own speech. This year is live charitably. It doesn't even mean just to like donate to.
Speaker 1:St Jude or give him 20 bucks a month for a T-shirt.
Speaker 3:It genuinely means live charitably. Every once in a while, pay for the person behind you, pay for their coffee, spread joy into the world. I mean seriously. You never know who is struggling. You never know. You know what people are going through. And just imagine the world now how much better of a place it would be if everybody did a small action every day. I mean seriously, when those things happen to you, I mean it sticks with you forever, absolutely, or it makes your day right yeah.
Speaker 3:So, live, chair, living charitably is something that I have really tried to incorporate into my um, into my lifestyle. And uh, my friend Hollis she had a panel as well, talking about how her passion of soccer has helped her raise money for seeing Jude. Basically, she kicks a soccer ball and she juggles a soccer ball. She has like the world record or something.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 3:She can juggle a soccer ball for like an hour and a half or something.
Speaker 2:It's crazy, that's cool.
Speaker 3:But her, you know, panel was just saying use your passions to provide purpose in your life, and that is something that I've always stressed. Personally, too, I resonate with that so much because I have used racing to pursue race for research, which has given me fulfillment and passion and purpose in my life.
Speaker 1:I mean.
Speaker 3:I genuinely think that living charitably to live charitably, this fulfills that purpose if that makes sense Um so I really don't think I'm ever going to stop and being at the hospital. I mean, you see these kids, these sick kids, on TV, Um, but when you're there in person it's like it's real.
Speaker 1:It's all real.
Speaker 3:You see the children playing on the playgrounds with their, their moms, and you know it's, it's heartbreaking, but also you don't think of it like that way in the moment because St Jude is just.
Speaker 3:I mean I I've talked to people about it and they're like, well, it's just, it's just a hospital. You know, why are you getting so like worked up over this? It's just a hospital. I'm like, no, you don't understand. It's not just a hospital. It's. It's this incredible space that Danny Thomas um, the original founder, I mean. It's where any child can be cured of cancer for no cost, no matter where you are from, what your background is. I mean they don't care who you are. If you need treatment, it's there you can get it. And to spread that research, I mean they have hundreds of rooms for research. They have one building that I think is 15 stories tall. It's a research building. They have another research building and they're currently building a 17 story research building right now.
Speaker 3:Um, and I got to tour one of them. It's incredible and I it's just. I can't even put into words like how beautiful this place really is.
Speaker 1:That's awesome.
Speaker 3:I really wish that it was something everyone got to experience. But yeah, and I mean, it's just so inclusive of everybody. When you walk in to the main research building, the first thing you see is flags hung up on the ceiling of every single country patients, patients have come from, if that makes sense? Yeah, for sure um workers are from international countries, doctors, all these things. It's amazing.
Speaker 3:Their um k cafe, it's their main cafe in the main hospital yeah um and they do not have a separate cafe for patients and doctors, all patients and doctors they eat together all the nurses, um, so you can full on have a meal with your doctor. I mean it's it's incredible and um, you know, there's this one story that really sticks out to me, Um.
Speaker 2:I hope you don't mind me rambling about this. No, this is great. I love it. This is what? Well, you know it's. Yeah, I mean it's, it's this. Is it because it's like you? Um, you focus on the raising the funds, part of it which is important, I mean it's, you know it's one of the things that you've been inspired to do.
Speaker 2:But then it's like you want to make sure, and I think for people listening that are also interested in, you know, potentially giving funds and showing up as well, they want to know, like, what are the like? What happens when I give like what? Where does it go, what? What other was the result? And I love that there's kind of like just lit us, you know this, spark little fire and you're just like let me tell you about it all you know. So tell me this. Yeah, tell me the story. Tell me the story.
Speaker 3:I'm going to be. It's just everything to me you know, I try not to talk about it because I'm not like a super corny person, but it truly is like. This experience is truly the reason why I've based my life and my future off of, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's just, it was that impactful for me.
Speaker 2:That's amazing yeah.
Speaker 3:Anyway K Cafe.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:So, um, there was this little boy, I guess who. He was super, super sick and, um, I forget what kind of cancer he had, um, but he did not want anything that the chef had to make. Nothing on the menu. And this little boy from louisiana, all he wanted was his grandma's mac and cheese and he told the chef how to make it. And the chef tried and the kid did not like it, he wouldn't eat it. Yeah, so the chef contacted his grandma, called her from louisiana and she sent him the recipe. Oh wow, the chef contacted his grandma, called her from Louisiana and she sent him the recipe oh wow.
Speaker 3:The chef made this little boy his mac and cheese and he ate it.
Speaker 2:Oh, my word.
Speaker 3:I mean, but it's just those little things.
Speaker 2:You know what I?
Speaker 3:mean Because when your child is going through something as terrible as cancer, I mean it is so hard to feel like you can live a normal life. I mean seriously we as a healthy person, I take it so for granted.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, um, we all do Right.
Speaker 3:Exactly, and um, you can't even have a meal that you crave you know, Um and for St Jude to design their practices off of making these children feel like they are at home or as normal as they possibly can feel. It's something that that I got to see in person and it's it's amazing. I mean, that's why people go into St Jude and they say I don't feel sad when I walk through St Jude, I feel hopeful.
Speaker 2:That's great.
Speaker 3:I feel happy and I feel like this is where this is a positive place right, it's not a sad, dark hospital and it's hope.
Speaker 2:It's hope that living charitably is like realized in that space, you know. For a chef to do that sort of thing. You know he's not just doing it because it's his job. He's going way out of his way to do something that he's not being necessarily paid to do or asked to do specifically. He's just living charitably.
Speaker 3:Exactly, and I think that when St Jude, you know, hires their employees, that's got to be like a checkmark on their resume that they have to have, because, I swear, every single person who works there is so moved by the cause. It is not a place where you know they're working there for the good pay. They're working there because you know it's a nice hospital. They're not working there because it's prestigious, they're working there because it's it's their passion, it's their livelihood, I mean, and when you're, when you see it in person, you become so touched by everything there. It's like the most.
Speaker 2:I truly wish that I could just like take my experience and just be able to right, but I can't Um and it's just just so hard but you're taking your experience and letting it, you know, fuel the fire that you have right behind what you're doing to to make a difference.
Speaker 3:Right, that's amazing yeah and um, yeah, it's. It's just, it's amazing. I mean to put in all that effort and you know people saying that they don't know where their money goes. Well, it goes to all of these children who who feel like something is wrong with them which you know physically there is, but mentally you can feel like something's wrong with you um and that's a really hard feeling to to go through but, to have that normality is just so mentally important for these children to not become, you know, depressed in a hospital while they're sick yeah it's incredible how they've considered what these patients go through.
Speaker 3:I mean these patients are not patients. Yeah, in saint jude's eyes their family that's great um I love that they. They care about these children just as much as they would their own family, and that's great. I love that. All these different things. And they have a recording studio so patients can sing in there or record whatever in there, but they also use it. You know, if a child is going to pass away, they use that recording studio to record that child's heartbeat to give it to their parents.
Speaker 2:I know that's crazy.
Speaker 3:I mean, the things that they think of to make to comfort people is just incredible how they consider, consider, you know, other people's feelings Um so yeah, I mean truly it's. It's incredible.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Well, thanks for sharing all that. Yeah, I know I know that was a lot. You can, you can cut that down. I know, really cool, I know that was a lot.
Speaker 3:You can cut that down if you need to, that's good, I totally rambled on there. No, that's great.
Speaker 2:I love it.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I really love it. Well, I'm glad that you were inspired and I'm excited to see how your fire for all of this, your excitement for all of this, really pushes your efforts forward. For all of this, um really pushes your efforts forward and I really, I, you know, I really hope that the um fundraising effort that you're doing this year is a, um is a is a big win for you, for you know, race for research, but also for these kids.
Speaker 3:Right, I mean.
Speaker 3:that's the reason why we do it and yeah, I mean I really, you know, I was really trying to think of what I wanted to say in my opening speech this year and I really settled on I don't want to do something sappy. Um, I don't want to do I mean not sappy, but I don't want to do something sad. I don't want to. I don't need to tell a story for somebody else. This time I I want to take my experience this time and and inspire other people with that, because that is what. That is what's going to make this go a long ways in other people's heads.
Speaker 3:Um, so I'm, I think, I think it's going to be our most emotionally impactful year.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's great Well, you are already inspiring, I love. Thank you yeah you are, and I have no doubt that you know, years down the road, the work that you're doing both for. Race for Research and for these kids, and then also the work that you're doing to become the person that you're going to be you know psychiatrist, you know whatever, wherever that takes you, I know that it's going to be. It's going to be amazing.
Speaker 1:And I get a chance.
Speaker 2:I'll probably be sitting in my like lounger somewhere someday and saying I interviewed her and I was there when she you know when she was in high school and I remember doing that and I remember, you know. So I'll get the opportunity to point out and say she was making a difference back when I knew her, and she's still making a difference today.
Speaker 1:So that's gonna be really cool.
Speaker 2:So, very cool. So, um, if people are interested in knowing more about race for research, uh, what's the best way, what's the best place to you know, contact or to access the information?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're on Instagram and Facebook. Instagram is sjraceforresearch and then Facebook is just raceforresearch and our logos will come up in our accounts. We only have one account and then we have a website. It's wwwraceforresearchcom. Slash maxgivingbid or something.
Speaker 2:I don't know. We can add it to the show notes too, and people can access it.
Speaker 3:Perfect. And then we also have an email. It's just sjraceforresearch at Gmail, but most people will message us on Facebook or Instagram, it's just easy.
Speaker 2:That's great.
Speaker 3:So yeah.
Speaker 2:So one last question before you go Are you still racing?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I, I don't know what it's been. I have gotten this question so much this year. Yeah, I think it's because I've just been super busy.
Speaker 2:Well, your life changes. You go to college and you have all these other things going on, it was a fun high school sport, right and like? Are you going to keep doing that?
Speaker 3:I 100%. I could not think of giving it up at this point in my life. Maybe when I go to med school and life starts becoming life a little bit more.
Speaker 2:You need to let off some steam. I need to go to the racetrack in med school, I'm sure. Well, hopefully, yeah, that's right If I have the time.
Speaker 3:No, no seriously, I definitely want to keep racing.
Speaker 2:Already have um a new car being put in the works, right now being built um put together, it's a joe's um are you gonna be racing after the like, after the gala, the next are you?
Speaker 3:yes, oh cool, I know, I feel like I have to you know what I mean? Of course, of course, yeah but yeah, so I have a 2025 Joe's Racing Products chassis. They just came out with it this year, so I'm going to be running that this year, nice. And then, yeah, same deal, awesome, yeah, same schedule, and running in the Central Valley now.
Speaker 2:Great, that's awesome. Well, it was great having you on here again. Thank you and thank you for sharing your heart, your passion, your stories, and I hope we get to do this again. I know and if I get a chance, I'm going to try to come out there to the gala. I've wanted to do it every year. Every time I've seen it I'm like, oh, I need to get to that and I'm going to try to make it work this year.
Speaker 3:That would be awesome, and we have a hotel room discount rate because it is at a hotel.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 3:So a lot of people will stay the night that night, and I think our code is you have to call Tachi and just say you know I want to use code race for research and they'll give you a discount on your room. Awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very cool. Well, thanks for joining me.
Speaker 3:Thank you, good to spend some time with you. I know it's so good to catch up finally. Exactly, I feel like it's been way too long.
Speaker 2:It has been it has been, yeah, so good luck and hopefully we'll see you around some more.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Yeah.