CG Moving organized the CMSA Northern Region Annual Holiday Dinner in December 2019 at Moonraker.
A Great Night at Moonraker Restaurant, Pacifica
The CMSA Northern Region Holiday Dinner was held at Moonraker Restaurant in Pacifica, California.
What a wonderful evening it was, gathering our fellow movers and associate members for the Annual Holiday Dinner. The Northern Region Chapter of the California Moving and Storage Association hosted the event at Moonraker Restaurant in Pacifica, California. Moonraker is a San Mateo Peninsula favorite, known for its popular Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas. Guests enjoyed green salad, roasted Dungeness crab legs, garlic noodles, and a delicious cheesecake. A huge thank you to catering manager Tatiana Shands-Ballas and the entire Moonraker team for their hard work and attentive service.
Thank You to Our Bike Donors: Lulu's Cyclery and Lulu's Hauling
Emily Thurston and Dennis Jenkins of Lulu’s donated three Manhattan bicycles for the third year.
A huge thank you to Emily Thurston and Dennis Jenkins of Lulu’s Cyclery and Lulu’s Hauling for their generous donation of three Manhattan bicycles. Year after year, these two businesses have supported our chapter, not only by donating the grand prizes for our Annual Crab Dinner, but doing so with great generosity and good spirit. Sadly, they could not attend this year as they were out in Portland, Oregon, growing their moving business client base. Good luck on the expansion and thank you for your continued support!
CMSA Leadership in Attendance
CMSA President Steve Weitekamp joined board reps John Chipman Jr. and Karl Anderson at the dinner.
We were delighted to have CMSA President Steve Weitekamp and his wife Carmen with us. Thank you for making the trip and showing your support. Also in attendance were our board representatives John Chipman Jr. of Chipman Relocation and Karl Anderson of Anderson Bros. As always, we recognized the first person to RSVP: that honor went to John Chipman Jr., who received a festive hat and lei. The first to pay for their dinner was Stephanie Anderson of Anderson Bros. And the first associate vendor to come through with a sponsorship was Ken Jordan of J & S Paper, who earned a festive hat and lei of their own.
Three Years Running: Organizing the Northern Region Holiday Event
Olga Garcia and the author organized the Northern Region Holiday Dinner for the third year running.
For the third year, chapter co-president Olga Garcia and I organized this event. It is always nerve-racking to commit to a venue before knowing the final headcount. The festive hats and leis are a small token of appreciation for those who step up early and make the event possible. Congratulations to all the recipients!
Our Special Volunteers and Sponsors
Benjamin Weeda, Yaeli Merenfeld, John Kay, and Casey Myers all supported the 2019 holiday dinner.
This event could not have happened without the work of Charlie Gonzalez, and the energy of our special guests and volunteers Benjamin Weeda, a dynamic business coach and principal of Balanceo, based in Denver, Colorado. Ben was my mentor during the Latino Business Action Network and Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI) program. Also volunteering, and a fellow SLEI alumna, was Yaeli Merenfeld, owner and CEO of Anny’s Bread Factory out of Miami, Florida. Anny’s Bread produces kosher and parve products using only natural ingredients, no additives or substitutes. Ben and Yaeli welcomed guests, sold raffle tickets, and helped with setup and takedown of our banner and all the festive decorations.
A huge thank you to our other two sponsors: John Kay of Victory Packaging and Casey Myers of Champion Risk & Insurance Services. Their sponsorships helped us cover the cost of the Farallon Room at the Lighthouse Hotel/Moonraker Restaurant. This year we also unveiled a backdrop designed to look like the cover of the monthly CMSA publication “The Communicator”. Our cover featured a “Scholarship Application” seal as a reminder of why we were all in that room. From September to March, our local chapters organize events where we connect with movers and vendors over food and drinks, and raise money for the charity and scholarship funds. Each year, our association awards $50,000 in undergraduate college and vocational education scholarships.
Raffle Winners, Dancing, and a Look Ahead to January
Charlie Gonzalez won a bike; the CG Moving gang celebrated with live music at Nick’s Rockaway.
The grand prize Manhattan bicycles went to: CG Moving‘s Charlie Gonzalez; Chris and Patty Mayer of Macy’s Movers, who won a beige Manhattan bicycle; and Stephanie and Karl Anderson.
After the main event, we walked across the street to catch live music at local favorite Nick’s Rockaway, known for their crab sandwich and strong adult drinks. Matt Hastings and his wife Tatiana, Mark Hildreth and his girlfriend, Jacob Moreno and his wife, Tim Dewitt, Chris and Patty Mayer, and the CG Moving team were all spotted on the dance floor enjoying pomegranate margaritas.
Our next event is scheduled for January 15, 2020, at Agave Uptown, in Oakland, where upscale authentic Oaxacan cuisine is sure to make a fan out of you. Visit the chapter’s event registration page to register before the event.
