Thursday, May 24, 2012

Receiving the "Call to Service Award" given by the President of the United States

Receiving the "Service to Call" Award from Mr. Jose Alejandro, Founder and Director of VOS Flipswww.vosflips.com

Mr.& Mrs.Valentin, the people responsible for nominating me for this prestigious Honor



I recently received the Highest Honor in Volunteerism given by The President of the United States. Thanks to an introduction by whom I refer to as a "Guardian Angel" because he's always putting me in front of anyone and everyone he can to help me any way he can, Eugene Williams.  Last year, he asked me to help him Co-Host a Silent Auction: click here: http://ritaverreos.blogspot.com/search?q=Co+Host+of+Longhorn+Live+Radio+Show%2C+2011  Sitting next to me was Mrs. Marie Valetin, President & Co-Founder of the Monte Christo Center for Voluteer Development.  I immediately made myself available asked her to, please, call on me, should she feel I could help her in any way.  One of the events I was so happy to be a part of was a Food Drive: http://ritaverreos.blogspot.com/search?q=Emceeing+the+Tejano+Octoberfest .  Here we are, last summer, receiving an award from Esperanza Calvillo (middel) for "Mentorship" in the San Antonio Government's Summer Ambassador Program that she directs.I've always said that my experience on SURVIVOR FIJI has been the gift that keeps on giving to me in ALL areas of my life. I'm so very grateful that I try to use it as much as a gift to give back to others.  Heck, I know I didn't go out there and starve/dehydrate for nuthin'!  I've also always had a winners/positive mentality so I had to make it a winning experience. I NEVER dreamt that it would lead to me winning this AMAZING "Lifetime" Achievement Award in Volunteerism: The President of the United States "Call to Service Award."   This is one of the BIGGEST Honors I've ever received. THANK YOU so much to my dear friend,  Mr. Eugene Williams and to Marie Valentin for making this moment of happiness and pride possible for my family and me.  I was so verklepmt, I thought I was receiving an "Emmy"...no, really!!!  Check it out, ha, ha, ha:If you'r interested in becoming a Volunteer with the Monte Christo Volunteer Center, please click here:www.centerforvolunteerdevelopment.weebly.com


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Rappeling over the edge of a 32 story Bldg.in downtown Austin to help "Make a Wish" come True!

I'm so happy to have gotten to help the "Make a Wish" Foundation in the past several years: At my most recent collaboration, Click here: http://ritaverreos.blogspot.com/search?q=Make+a+Wish I met Mr. Chad Wicks, Director of Marketing Communications and Events for the Austin Chapter of "Make a Wish" Foundation (to the right) A couple of months later, he asked me if I could be a "Celebrity" Rappeler as a part of their "Over the Edge" fundraising event in Austin.   As you can imagine, being on SURVIVOR, cured me of pretty much every fear-even my greatest one which is of the "unknown."  I've NEVER rappeled so I figured if I was gonna do it, it was definitely going to be as a way of giving something back, cuz Lord knows I wouldn't have signed up to do this out of my own accord, just like I didn't sign up for SURVIVOR, btw... These adventurous things just always seem to find me...and I am so glad:) 
Getting geared up!
The team was so professional.  It was fun, but for some reason, I thought my feet would stick to the edge of the building, à la "Spiderman,"  ha, ha, ha, but they didn't :(  and that FREAKED me out!!! I'm not gonna lie!

Other than that, the view of the Capitol Building was breaktaking..or wait, was it the fact that I was dangling over the edge of a 32 foot Bldg. what was making not breathe..ha, ha, ha!
  • So let's see: 
  • Jumping out of a Plane: check!
  • Being on SURVIVOR FIJI, the ADVENTURE of a lifetime: check!
  • Rappeling a 32 story Bldg: check! 
These are things on a "Bucket List" that I don't even have!  As I always sing:  "I sit and talk to God & he just laughs at my plans!" (FEEL, Robbie Williams)...because He seems to have better, definitely more adventurous plans for me. I can't wait to see what's next! I have an idea, but I guess even I will have to STAY TUNED to find out:)
* Thank you to Erin Molloy for the wonderful photographs!:www.erinmolloyphoto.com.

Monday, May 7, 2012

LIVE Event Host! for Green Fields Grocery Grab!

COME ON OUT to the 2nd GREEN FIELDS MARKET Grocery Grab!!
Why? Because the first one was a BLAST!!  Watch/Read Below:


Recently, I  Emceed this a really fun event..the 1st  GREEN FIELDS MARKET Grocery Spree! 5 LUCKY Green Fields Market customers were given a chance to win ALL the groceries they could fill their shopping carts with in 60 seconds, PLUS a $100 gift card to GREEN FIELDS MARKET.  These ladies weren't messin' around. It reminded me of my  SURVIVOR FIJI challenges, where my tribe AND I were also vying for food!! LOL. "SURVIVORS Ready? ...Oopsy, I meant, GREEN FIELDS MARKET Shoppers Ready? and OFFFF they went!!  and the Winner Is? (to the right) Katherine Hawk, who, by the way, received the call that she had won the opportunity, in the middle of a dinner party at her home. Now, she won herself more than enough food to Host another dinner party...actually, she cleaned out the meat department!! Fortunately, GREEN FIELDS MARKET is known for keeping all their Departments fully stocked with the Freshest Products. In fact, I'm not just a hired Emcee for them..I'm a client (yes, that sounds familiar... I copied the catch phrase of that hair growth product...LOL)  Anyhoo, the stint on SURVIVOR FIJI left my intestines pretty beat up... I know, you're surprised by that...ha, ha, ha.  Thankfully, I found the products I needed to restore my intestines back to health at GREEN FIELDS MARKET! Special thanks to Rudy Arispe, President of Arispe PR and Mr. Marco Guerrero, President of the Tejeda Agency for hiring me to Emcee this event and also to Mr. Fred Perez, GREEN FIELDS MARKET store Director and all of his Employees!