Celebrating a Half-Century of Good Fellowship and Fresh Food

For the past 50 years Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona has provided millions of fresh, healthy, medically-tailored, and low-cost (or no-cost) meals to Pima County-area homebound seniors and adults with disabilities. Its volunteers have also provided fellowship and regular wellness checks to help nourish the souls of some of the most isolated and vulnerable individuals in our community. 

Its dedication to bringing light and wellness to those living with ongoing food insecurities made it an easy choice for us to accept the invitation to join its 50th Anniversary Celebration as a $2,000 supporting sponsor.    

Pandemic Causes Mobile Food Services to Skyrocket  

The COVID-19 pandemic is believed to be the main reason why Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona finished 2020 with a 100% increase in unduplicated client numbers.  

Now that we are over halfway through 2021, the need is still great. Find out how you can help this noble service offset some of their costs today at mobilemealssoaz.org. Your assistance would contribute to helping its clients keep their independent lifestyle for as long as possible.

More specifically, your donation helps people remain free of high financial and emotional costs associated with becoming dependent on around the clock care offered at nursing homes or assisted living care facilities.  

Slam Dunk Charitable Event Benefiting Student Athletes

Pass it Forward is a 501c-3 organization that serves as the non-profit arm of Arizona Select Basketball. Our team had the pleasure of stepping up and supporting its young athletes as the corporate sponsor of their first ever Pass it Forward fundraiser that was held at Top Golf. 

“Thanks to Lerner & Rowe, Arizona Select Basketball players will be able to hit the road in July and play in NCAA live events to help get exposure with college coaches watching,” shared Arizona Select Basketball on their Facebook page.  

We couldn’t be more excited for these young athletes and wish them all the best!

More about Arizona Select Basketball

Founded in 2015 by Ben Boyd, Arizona Select Basketball started out an elite girls basketball club program. Five years later, Ben Boyd partnered with John Ortega to absorb Ortega’s elite boys basketball club program that was previously known as Powerhouse Hoops. 

Since then, Arizona Select Basketball has become the most successful youth recruited club organization in Arizona, as well as one of the top basketball club organizations in the U.S. 

Their success is in part due to their mission to provide focused player development. Each club member is then given the chance to showcase their skills at high exposure basketball tournaments that are attended by college coaches. In short, everything they do is about putting their basketball players in the best position possible to pursue a college scholarship.

Our Lerner and Rowe Gives Back Las Vegas crew has been sponsoring an incredible program in the heart of 89169! We’ve teamed up with City Wide Power, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), FREE International, the Golden Knights, and the National Hockey League Foundation to provide positive role modeling and life skills through sports to our inner-city youth.

Inner-City Youth Hockey Program for the Win

The program began four weeks ago with us teaching 30 kids who reside in 89169 how to play street hockey. Today, the kids were moved indoors out of the sweltering summer heat to learn how to ice skate at Lifeguard Arena. Players from the Golden Knights and LVMPD were on hand to outfit them with skates, jerseys, and helmets. Over the next several weeks they will be coached on how to play ice hockey and enjoy the camaraderie of being part of a positive sports environment.

“Partnering with organizations like City Wide Power, Las Vegas Metro PD, and the Golden Nights to provide our inner-city youth with  after-school activities and positive role models, is exactly why we formed our Lerner and Rowe Gives Back foundation,” shared Glen Lerner.

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Photos that capture the fun shared during the youth’s first day on the ice at Lifeguard Arena:

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Our Indiana and Illinois teams spent the last two weekends cleaning up over 100lbs of trash from our local beaches during Mermaid Straw’s 2021 Clean-up Days!

In 2020, we collected nearly 40lbs of trash from sandy hills at the Indiana Dunes State Park.

As summer kicks off, it’s important to keep our beaches, parks, and hiking trails clean and litter free.

Thank you to our staff and other local community members who came out to clean 31st Street beach in Chicago and those who participated in the clean-up at the Indiana Dunes State Park.

You can learn more about how Mermaid Straw works to keep plastic out of the environment at mermaidstraw.com

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On Saturday, May 29th at an annual United Community event held near East Flamingo Road and Boulder Highway, our Las Vegas outreach team was pleased to sponsor, serve hot dogs, and hand out water to 500 attendees. This free family-friendly event featured games and prizes for kids, face painting, as well as free dental, vision, and medical checkups.

“I am so glad that Las Vegas is beginning to reopen and that people once again have the opportunity to gather and enjoy community events with their neighbors. Our team has missed these types of events that allow us to serve our neighbors. We truly enjoy taking an active role in planned activities that help to improve the quality of life of those in need,” shared Glen Lerner.

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Photos from the annual Las Vegas United Community event:

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2021 Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Summer Camp Programs

Lerner and Rowe Gives Back has answered the call to “Be a Hero” by sponsoring the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson’s (BGCT) summer camp program. Prior to the pandemic, our team has been pleased to repeatedly support the Clubs’ annual fundraiser THE EVENT. 

For 2021, BGCT decided to postpone this major fundraiser after reviewing all the variables and restrictions that the city and/or county would put on such a large event. In light of this postponement, the Clubs need to find alternative ways to continue funding its year-round programming and operations that serve over 4,200 club members and over 12,000 Tucson young people. 

How You Can Become a Hero

You can join us in supporting youth in the Tucson community by providing an online donation, or volunteering your time. Contact the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson directly for more information by emailing your questions to [email protected], or by visiting bgctucson.org. 

On behalf of our MAM staff and the many AZ active military members in need, thank you so much for your support at this year’s Golf Tournament presented by Lerner and Rowe Gives Back.  

You helped raise a little more than $30,000 for our troops.

Again, we thank you and the Lerner and Rowe Team for what you do to help our military members in need.  All the best!!   

With Patriotism,

Marc Boehm (Bame)
Executive Director
Military Assistance Mission aka MAM
602-246-6429 (O)
402-540-4005 (C)

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Photos from the MAM’s 7th Annual Golf Tournament:

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Our Lerner and Rowe Gives Back team weathered the high winds on the Bishop Gorman Track to support the Special Olympics athletes from Las Vegas, Pahrump, and Mesquite.

Today’s Nevada-Land Spring Fitness Challenge is in preparation for the big event, the Special Olympics on Nevada Torch Run, scheduled on October 8, 2021.

“Our organization is a longtime supporter of the incredible athletes who leave their very best on the field, who are part of the great Special Olympics organization. We are honored to sponsor the Special Olympics of Southern Nevada,” shared Glen Lerner.

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Our Indiana team kicked off Police Appreciation Week 2021 by donating lunch to the officers of the Merrillville Police Department, Crown Point Police Department, and Hobart Police Department.

A great big thank you to not only these officers, but every police officer across the country who continues to protect and serve their community.

And, thank you to Wild Iris Catering for providing such delicious meals for our officers to enjoy!

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To help protect Arizona youth from accidental drownings, our founder Kevin Rowe presented a generous donation of $2,500 towards the Swim Safe campaign whose aim is to raise money that would provide 1,000 free youth swim lessons.

The Arizona Swim Safe campaign was created through a partnership between Valley of the Sun YMCA and AZFamily 3TV CBS 5.   

Hard Facts About Drowning

According to data shared by the Swim Safe campaign, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children under the age of four. Drowning is also the second leading cause of unintentional death for children under the age of 12.

Here are additional drowning facts the campaign would like the public to be aware of: 

• Drowning can happen in as little as 20 seconds
• 88% of children who drowned were under some form of supervision
• 88% of children who have formal swim lessons are less likely to drown
• 60% of youth drowning incidents occur within 10 feet of safety
• Three children die each day as a result of drowning in the United States

You can join us in helping to protect our youth by supporting the Arizona Swim Safe campaign. Click here to be taken to the online donation page and help raise money for 1,000 free swim lessons.

To learn more specifics about the campaign and how you can take the pledge to increase water safety awareness within the community, visit ValleyYMCA.org/water-watcher/

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Watch this news segment to learn more about our involvement: