With breast cancer awareness in mind, Santa Clarita Valley Vons and Pavilions grocery stores have recently donated more than $43,000 to the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center, located on the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital campus.
Local Vons and Pavilions grocery stores raised funds for their annual Breast Cancer Awareness campaign through bake sales, donations at checkout counters, book sales, root beer float sales and a particularly popular form of donation, “Free the courtesy clerk from the store jail.”
“Every year, we have our breast cancer awareness fundraiser during the month of October and it’s one of our biggest fundraisers,” explained Mac McLeod, store manager at the Santa Clarita Vons grocery store. “I take great pride in presenting this check to the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center. We would like to thank our customers and the community because they have donated the dollars behind this check.”
Henry Mayo President and CEO Roger Seaver thanked the stores for their contribution toward the early detection of breast disease.
“As new technology comes along to aid in the detection of breast disease, we will continue to upgrade our technology so that we are the leading breast imaging center in Southern California,” said Seaver.
The breast imaging center received its seed funding from benefactor Tom Veloz, whose sons Peter and David attended the check presentation.
“This donation is one of the highlights of the year for the breast imaging center,” said Peter Veloz. “We are very thankful to Vons and Pavilions and hope to continue this successful relationship.”
Breast Cancer survivor Dianne White Crawford said the need for equipment to detect breast disease is ever-present.
“Donations from caring companies like Vons and Pavilions is what it takes to have the best equipment and most up-to-date technology in the battle against breast disease,” said Crawford. “It is really exciting to see how passionate Vons and Pavilions grocery stores are about combating breast cancer.”
The donation was provided by funds raised from Vons and Pavilions grocery stores in the following participating stores:
Vons store #1669, located at 26518 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita
Pavilions store #1961, located at 27095 McBean Parkway, Santa Clarita
Vons store # 2030, located at 25850 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch
Vons store # 2111, located at 24160 Lyons Avenue, Newhall
Vons store # 3138, located at 16550 Soledad Canyon Rd, Canyon Country
To learn more about donating to the Sheila R. Veloz. Breast Imaging Center, please contact the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation at 661-253-8082.