BSLUGS Raise Almost $1000 for Smith Renaissance Society - to be matched!

Update on the BSLUG Holiday Fundraiser for the Smith Renaissance Society:  we raised $952 which will be matched by Smith Society founder and Pioneer Class Slug, Bill Dickinson.  (This amount includes any matching donations by employers.)

Thanks to each and everyone of you for reaching deep into your pockets to give!

The holiday party hosted by Jennifer Anderson was a wonderful success.  It was a relaxing chance to catch up with each others lives.  The plentiful dinner of burritos and salad from Herrera's was delicious; Zoe Rath's delicious cookies and the hot apple cider hit the sweet spot.  Thank you, Jennifer, for opening your lovely home to us and making us all feel welcome!

The BSLUG Board wishes you all a very Happy New Year and hopes 2014 brings much prosperity to UC Santa Cruz!

B-SLUG Holiday Party Saturday, Dec. 7th!

Mark your calendars! The annual BSLUG (Boston-area Local UCSC Graduates) Holiday Party will take place on Saturday evening, Dec. 7 at the home of fellow alum and very generous host, Jennifer Anderson. The party is a fundraiser for the Smith Renaissance Society, founded by Cowell alumnus Bill Dickinson. The Smith Society provides UCSC mentors, scholarships, and collegiate resources to foster children, homeless and runaway youth, orphans, and wards of the court. WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Brookline Village (on the D line and 66 and 65 bus lines) – exact address TBA RSVP by Tuesday, November 26 to beata dot panagopoulos at verizon dot net. (We have to let the caterer know how many folks are coming by Nov. 27) or RSVP via Facebook BYOB ***All tax-deductible donations received go directly to the Smith Renaissance Society. Contributions, large and small, are most welcome. Suggested donation: $15-25 per person. Larger donations will also be much appreciated by the Society. Last year we raised over $1200 which was matched by Bill Dickinson. Checks should be made payable to: "UC Santa Cruz Foundation" and write in the memo line: Smith Society Operating Fund SS009F Mail checks to: Beata Panagopoulos, 28 Maple Ave., Apt. 3, Cambridge, MA 02139-1130. You will receive a receipt directly from UCSC. Email Beata for directions, car-pool arrangements, or any questions or call 617-491-3871 Thanks to the generosity of Jennifer Anderson, the festivities will be held in her large, comfortable home in Brookline Village. You'll not only enjoy the wonderful company of fellow UCSC alums, but also partake of some of the best Mexican fare in the Boston area. Friends and family are also welcome. What better way to greet the winter season!

Seeking Centrally-Located Place for BSLUGs Annual Holiday Party!

Our annual holiday party in December is a fundraiser for the Smith Renaissance Society which "serves the college dreams of independent students who are current or former foster youth, runaways, juvenile offenders, orphans, or homeless youths." We typically have a fabulous dinner with a great group of about 20-30 Banana Slugs, including their friends and family. It's always a fun, festive time where we have the opportunity to see our old friends and meet new ones connected to UCSC.  We ask for a donation of any amount from those attending the dinner and all the money raised (usually around $1200) goes to the Smith Society. It often gets matched and goes a lot further. This fundraiser is a keystone event for the BSLUGS. The BSLUG treasury pays for the dinner, but in order to make this a successful fundraiser, we need to have a place, centrally-located, at which to hold the party free of charge.  If you think you'd be able to help us out either by being our host, lending us your living/dining room or office space for the evening or by giving us a tip as to a very affordable place to rent, we would hugely appreciate it. The host is not required to do anything to help set up the party. The BSLUG Board will happily bring everything and clean up afterwards. If you have any ideas about a nice centrally-located venue or would be willing to host the party yourself this December, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you and hope to see you soon at the BSLUG Holiday Party! Beata  beata dot panagopoulos at verizon dot net