Around East County: Man will run mile a day to fundraise for vets group
Also, a free Ironhouse Sanitary District event will show residents how to keep yards beautiful with recycled water.
East Contra Costa County resident Branin Cook is embarking on a charitable challenge to run one mile every day.
Cook was recently discussing the possibility of running consecutively for several days with a friend, and, having been a runner for more than 20 years, he came across the “mile a day” challenge and felt confident that he could do it. Starting July 1, he’ll begin the challenge as a fundraiser for the group Veterans of Oakley.
“My father was a Vietnam vet,” Cook said. “You can never do enough to appreciate veterans, and the Veterans of Oakley can use the help.”
You may know Cook as the manager of Oakley’s Les Schwab Tire Center. He and the tire company have been supporting various local charities by sponsoring events, making donations and allowing the use of their parking lot for fundraising activities. Cook’s kindness and volunteerism have been recognized by many groups, who credit him with benefiting the community and helping numerous charitable organizations to thrive.
Cook will participate July 1 in the city of Oakley’s Summer Festival 5K Run to begin the challenge. This event is the second annual run held by the city and will take place at Ironhouse Sanitary District. Anyone interested in joining Cook for the run can find more information at oakley-summer-fest-2022.yolasite.com/5k.
Cook may be new to this kind of fundraising idea, but he’s enthusiastic about helpint any way he can. Initially, he didn’t intend for the challenge to be a major occasion, thinking that family and friends would promote him and give. However, as people have become aware of it, local media, the Veterans of Oakley group and social media have all generated buzz around the challenge.
If you want to support Cook and help raise funds for the Veterans of Oakley, you can sign up by emailing BNMCOOK@comcast.net. To participate, you will be requested to donate at least $1 a day. Cook’s goal is to run a mile every day for at least 100 days.
“I don’t know how many days I’ll get through,” he said. “It may be 26, or it may be more than 100.”
Save water, lawns: Join the Ironhouse Sanitary District (ISD) in Oakley on June 10 for a free event aimed at teaching residents how to conserve water while maintaining beautiful yards. Drop in anytime between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to get valuable information. Those who sign up for recycled water will be treated to a complimentary taco lunch.
Since 2015, the ISD has operated its Recycled Water Fill Station at 450 Walnut Meadows Drive in Oakley. Many people are familiar with the large cube containers that can be seen in the back of pickup trucks throughout East County. Those who use recycled water can fill the cubes with the water that’s been cleaned at wastewater agencies in Oakley and Brentwood and take it back to their homes to irrigate their lawns, gardens and trees.
According to the ISD, there is a common misconception that one needs a 300-gallon tank and a pickup truck to transport recycled water. However, various types of containers can be used for this purpose. Residents have used gallon containers, covered five-gallon buckets, and even 30-gallon drums, all of which can be conveniently purchased at local hardware stores and fit comfortably inside a car or SUV.
New sign-ups are available anytime, but this weekend event is a chance to answer any questions without making an appointment and signing up for service. Those who wish to get started right away are welcome to bring containers and immediately begin taking water home after a required short training session on how to use recycled water.
The service is free to Oakley and Bethel Island residents and $35 for those who live outside the ISD’s service area. Those interested but unable to make the event can email isdoutreach@isd.us.com to make an appointment. Go to ironhousesanitarydistrict.com for more information.
Roni Gehlke can be reached at oakleynow@comcast.net.