Miami Super Bowl Provided Economic Stimulus to South Florida

August 27, 2020

MIAMI, Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Miami Super Bowl Host Committee released the results of a report documenting the economic impacts of visitors and events leading up to Super Bowl LIV- a historic game which marked the crossroads between the city hosting their record-breaking 11th Super Bowl and the culmination of the NFL’s 100th season celebration. The championship game was played on February 2, 2020 at Hard Rock Stadium.

According to the report, Super Bowl LIV generated $572 million in new spending in the Miami, South Florida Tri-county area. Visiting spectators, NFL teams, media, as well as the NFL and Miami Dolphins spent $275 million to produce the event, adding 4,600 annual equivalent jobs, and $34 million in state and local tax revenues.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross invested $579 million for renovations and major capital improvements to Hard Rock Stadium during 2015-2019, which enabled the city to attract and host one of the world’s premier sporting events. “We were excited to host Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium. This was a tremendous showcase for South Florida“, said Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins Chairman of the Board. “I want to thank the NFL, Miami Super Bowl Host Committee and Dolphins team, led by Tom Garfinkel for their commitment and hard work throughout the entire process.”

“Miami invited the world to come LIVEITMIAMI and we can confidently say we delivered one of the best Super Bowl’s the world has ever seen,” said Rodney Barreto, Chairman Miami Super Bowl Host Committee. “In a town where big events are par for the course, we are grateful that both the private and public sector stepped up to help us deliver this huge win. We last hosted a Super Bowl in 2010 and we showed the world how much we have grown and flourished as a diverse, multicultural city”.

The Host Committee thanks the multiple law enforcement agencies, first responders, government partners and thousands of volunteers that made the various events safe and enjoyable. They are also grateful for the devoted football fans that traveled to sunny Miami to join the many celebrations held throughout South Florida.

“The outstanding economic performance resulting from Super Bowl LIV in February helped keep this community and the travel industry afloat when the effects of the pandemic began in March,” said William D. Talbert, III, President & CEO of the GMCVB. “Super Bowl LIV’s economic impact is a reminder to us all what Greater Miami’s travel industry is capable of and the importance of hosting global events in our community. Our priority now must be to adhere to safety measures in order to eliminate the spread of COVID-19, making marquee events that stimulate the economy and grow jobs viable once again.”

“The economic activity generated by Super Bowl LIV was among the largest of all major sporting events that we have evaluated over the past 25 years”, according to Dr. Kathleen Davis, CEO of Sport Management Research Institute, who conducted the economic study. “The level of spending by visitors and the degree of visitor satisfaction with the venue was higher than previous Super Bowls. Average daily spending by visitors was more than twice the average in other weeks of the year in Miami“.

The economic study was based on a survey of 1,432 persons during January 30 through February 3 at various locations in the Miami area. Surveyed respondents reported spending an average of $1,781 per travel party per day in the local area. An overwhelming share of survey respondents attending the game were visitors from outside the South Florida area, whose total spending of $133 million represents new money in the regional economy.

The economic impacts of expenditures for Super Bowl LIV were evaluated using a model for the Miami metro area developed with the IMPLAN regional assessment system, which takes into account the share of goods and services provided by local businesses, and enables calculation of multiplier or “spinoff” effects of new spending in the market area.

Super Bowl LIV by the numbers…

65,326 capacity of Hard Rock Stadium on game day
372,000 fan interactions using NFL OnePass app at related events
160,000 attendance at Super Bowl LIVE presented by Verizon and Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe’s
148.5 million viewers watched all or part of Super Bowl LIV
88% of attendees at the game and 73% attending SB Experience @ Miami Beach Convention Center were out-of-town visitors
35.1% of visitors were from the Kansas City area and 11.9% were from the San Francisco area, representing the fanbases of the two competing teams
3.32 average number of nights stayed by spectators and accompanying party
3.03 average party size
368,011 visitor-days (nights) in South Florida
$1,781 average spending per party-day by spectators
$2,154 average spending per party-day by media
74% traveled to South Florida by commercial airline, and 41% of those arrived at Miami International Airport
35% of visitors used ride sharing to travel to Hard Rock Stadium
25% of overnight visitors used Airbnb or VRBO accommodations
85% of survey respondents rated Miami as an excellent or very good location for the Super Bowl
61% reported having a “more favorable” impression of South Florida and 41% planned to return to the region next year
$242,674 average household income of survey respondents
48 corporate sponsors
$572 million total output impact on local business revenues, including regional economic multiplier effects
$347 million value added contribution to Gross Domestic Product
4,597 fulltime and part-time annual equivalent jobs created or sustained
$34 million in state and local tax revenues generated
400 million minutes of volunteer service contributed by fans during the past year as part of the NFL’s Huddle for 100 campaign
10,000 Teammate Volunteers serving as local ambassadors to enhance the fan experience at airports and event venues
$2.4 million invested to support five different community capital improvement projects in support of youth sports and outdoor activities
1 billion media impressions for Super Bowl LIVE at Bayfront Park on the Today Show and Despierta America
Media Contact:

SOURCE Miami Super Bowl Host Committee

(Español) Estudiantes en la zona metropolitana de Nueva York reciben la Beca Nacional HACER® 2020 y recursos adicionales para tener éxito en el entorno de aprendizaje virtual durante la pandemia del COVID-19

August 26, 2020

Sorry, this entry is only available in Español.

OneWest Bank launches program to give back to local area school children

August 26, 2020

PASADENA, Calif., Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — OneWest Bank, CIT’s Southern California retail bank division, today launched its second annual Bank on Building a Brighter Community program to give back to local area school children. In partnership with the Pasadena, Metro Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Moorpark & Simi Valley Boys & Girls Clubs, OneWest Bank will donate three hours of virtual learning assistance for every qualified checking account opened between now and October 15.¹

“We are pleased to continue our partnership with the Boys & Girls Club and invest in our local students during this unique time,” said Heather Ellison, head of Retail Banking for CIT. “This program aims to increase academic success and empower local kids to thrive despite the challenges they may be facing.”

OneWest’s partnership with the Boys & Girls Club provides online tutoring and virtual extracurricular activity support. In addition, bank employees will host an interactive panel discussion at each location offering kids the opportunity to hear firsthand career, education and personal finance advice from professionals.

“We’re committed to helping students navigate learning in this new environment,” said Kim Washington, vice president of Resource Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles. “OneWest’s support is critical to improving academic success for Southern California students.”

As part of the program OneWest Bank customers are also eligible to receive up to a $300 checking reward when they open a qualifying checking account and meet the requirements.

Bank on Building a Brighter Community runs August 24 to October 15 and is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to build strong Southern California communities. OneWest has been an active supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs since 2010 through grants, leadership involvement and onsite volunteer support. Find out more information on the program at OneWest Bank.

About OneWest Bank
OneWest Bank is committed to helping Southern California consumers and small businesses meet their financial goals by offering a variety of personal and small business banking and lending solutions. We are passionate about serving the Southern California community and are proud to invest in the neighborhoods where we live and work. OneWest Bank is a division of CIT Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender), a subsidiary of CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT). For more information, visit OneWestBank.com and follow us on Facebook.

MEDIA RELATIONS:
Olivia Weiss
212-771-9657
[email protected]

¹ For terms and conditions visit http://www.onewestbank.com/brighterchecking.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/766202/OneWest_Bank_Logo.jpg

SOURCE OneWest Bank

Nutrition Facts Label Tools for Educators

August 26, 2020

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As the school year gets underway, students and teachers are looking forward to learning new things together. To support educators, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated many of its nutrition education resources on the new Nutrition Facts label. The new label, which is based on updated scientific information and new nutrition research, is the first major update to the label in over 20 years. The refreshed design and updated information make it easier for teachers to encourage students to make informed food choices that contribute to lifelong healthy eating habits.

The following free resources from FDA can easily be incorporated into lessons that engage students in the classroom and online.

Snack Shack in the popular Whyville online community gives kids (ages 8-15) hands-on experience in understanding and using the Nutrition Facts label as a tool to compare snacks, make smart food choices, and build healthy lifelong habits. Students can work cooperatively with their friends while they learn through two fun games in this online community, Label Lingo and Snack Sort.
Read the Label materials challenge kids ages 9 to 13 to look for and use the Nutrition Facts label on food and beverage packages. The materials – available in English and Spanish – include fun, easy tips and targeted education to provide young people with label reading skills to achieve a healthy diet.
Science and Our Food Supply is a collection of free supplementary curricula about nutrition, food safety, and agricultural biotechnology. Designed for middle and high school classrooms, these guides provide hands-on activities and inquiry-based learning that link food safety and nutrition to students’ everyday lives. They are crafted in a teacher-friendly modular format that easily fits into science, health, and other classes.
Interactive Nutrition Facts Label allows students to explore the updated label online and is helpful for virtual learning. The online tool provides an overview of the label and each of its elements as well as an in-depth look at specific nutrients and their role in our daily diet. Educators and students can easily access corresponding resources and materials.

To raise awareness about the updated label, FDA launched The New Nutrition Facts Label: What’s In it For You? campaign in March 2020. In addition to the wide range of education resources specifically for students and teachers, the comprehensive campaign includes fact sheets, videos, and more to help you learn more about the refreshed label found on packaged foods and drinks.

Contact: Media: 1-301-796-4540 Consumers: 1-888-SAFEFOOD (toll free)

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/585467/ucm519149_Logo.jpg

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration

South Spanish Trail LLC Amends $250 Million Lawsuit To Remove Major International Fiber Optic Cables From Boca Raton Intracoastal Property

August 26, 2020

BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — On July 28, 2020 South Spanish Trail LLC (SST), a Delray Beach based real estate developer, filed in the Palm Beach County Circuit Court an Amended Complaint in its $250 million lawsuit against Globenet Cabos Submarinos America, Inc. (Globenet), owner of the GlobeNet (aka Atlantica-1) submarine fiber optic cable system which runs from Boca Raton to South America, Caribbean Crossings Ltd. Inc. (Caribbean Crossings), which operates the BICS cable system from Boca Raton, Florida to the Bahamas, and several unnamed Defendants described as John Does 1-100 (“John Does”) who have agreements to use the cable systems.

The suit seeks damages and Injunctive relief, including the removal of the fiber optic cables and conduits of both Globenet and CC that traverse SST’s property, and includes claims for trespass, ejectment, unjust enrichment, injunctive relief, declaratory judgement, and recission.

The suit stems from the surreptitiously installed GlobeNet and BICS cable systems across SST’s property without SST’s consent. Additionally, SST is suing the customers of Globenet and CC. John Does who entered into agreements with Globenet and CC to use various parts of the systems which traverse SST’s property.

The suit seeks immediate removal of the GlobeNet and BICS systems from SST’s property, damages in excess of $250 million, recission of all contracts with the John Does, Globenet, and CC that authorize the use of SST’s property, and injunctions to stop the trespassing upon and unlawful use and occupation of SST’s property.

On August 7, 2020 Judge James Nutt issued an order compelling Globenet to produce its agreements with all of the John Does for the use of Globenet’s various conduits and cables on SST’s property, with protections for any possible trade secrets of Globenet.

SST will be naming Globenet’s customers as defendants in the lawsuit when the agreements are produced. Among other requested relief, SST is asking the court to impose a constructive trust over the portion of Globenet’s and Caribbean Crossings’ revenues to which SST is entitled based on its ownership of the property, and/or to require that the revenues being generated from the cable systems be deposited into the court registry until the dispute is resolved, so as to protect SST.

South Spanish Trail LLC is a Delray Beach, Florida based real estate development company specializing in maximizing the value of waterfront properties in the Boca Raton Florida area.

The law firm of Tobin & Reyes, P.A. of Boca Raton, FL represents South Spanish Trail LLC. Globenet is represented by Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and Caribbean Crossings is represented by Holland & Knight LLP.

For further information please contact attorney, Ricardo Reyes with Tobin & Reyes, P.A. at: [email protected].

The case is South Spanish Trail LLC v. Globenet Cabos Submarinos America Inc. et al., case number 50-2020-CA-002024, in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.

SOURCE South Spanish Trail LLC

Toyota’s Certified Technician Program Expands Nationwide

August 26, 2020

PLANO, Texas, Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The next time you service your Toyota or Lexus vehicle at one of the brands’ nearly 1,500 dealerships across the U.S., it is likely that a certified technician from Toyota Motor North America’s (TMNA) T-TEN program (Technician Training & Education Network) serviced your vehicle.

With 36 current locations in the U.S., the T-TEN program partners with schools and organizations to offer students an opportunity to earn degrees and certificates that comply with the highest training standards in the automotive industry, including an associate’s degree, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications, and Toyota and Lexus technician training certifications.

In September, the T-TEN program will formally launch its Technical Education College Support Elite (TECS) program, and will expand its reach to eight new locations across the country – 44 total – to help fill the pipeline for well-trained, certified technicians with hands-on automotive diagnosis and repair education. TECS designates Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) programs at certain locations as certified training centers for Toyota and Lexus vehicles. These eight new locations are:

Andrada Polytechnic High School, Tucson, Ariz.
Cherry Creek Innovation Center, Centennial, Colo.
Collin College Technical Campus, Allen, Texas
Contra Costa College, San Ramon, Calif
Fresno City College, Fresno, Calif.
Hartnell College, Salinas, Calif.
Lincoln College of Technology, Columbia, Md.
Vehicles for Change, Baltimore, Md.

“Trained auto technicians are in great demand and are the key to any successful dealership,” said Joseph Myers, technician development manager for the T-TEN program at TMNA. “We are grateful for the opportunity to expand the program’s reach to eight new schools and organizations that not only fulfills our needs, but also provides stable jobs and career security that aims to give vehicle owners the most satisfying service experience possible.”

T-TEN technician training is available with different programs, degrees and certificate options, and the typical program length is two years. Once participants complete the program, they have the ability to apply for open service technician positions at Toyota or Lexus dealerships, or any automotive service operation, including independent service and repair shops.

Since its inception in 1986, the T-TEN program has graduated nearly 12,000 students. Through its Military Technician Education Network (M-TEN) in partnership with Hiring Our Heroes and the Department of Labor, active duty service members and veterans can participate in an intensive 12-week automotive technician training program and earn credits towards becoming a certified technician.

To learn more about T-TEN, please visit www.t-ten.com, and to learn more about M-TEN, please visit www.hiringourheroes.org/fellowships/mten.

About Toyota:
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Contact: Victor Vanov 469.292.1318

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1243779/T_Ten_photo.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/785813/TOYOTA_MEDIA_RELATIONS_LOGO.jpg

SOURCE Toyota Motor North America

Texas Homebuyers: Finding the Right Property is the Most Difficult Part of the Homebuying Process

August 26, 2020

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Texas homebuyers say that finding the right property is the most difficult part of the homebuying process, according to the 2020 Texas Homebuyers and Sellers Report released by Texas Realtors. The annual report provides in-depth insights into the demographics, motivations and opinions of Texas homebuyers and sellers who had a real estate transaction between July 2018 and June 2019. The report also outlines information related to Texas real estate consumers’ income, ethnicity, age and perceptions of the homebuying and selling process.

“This report provides critical insight for Texas Realtors in assessing the ever-changing needs and expectations of the consumers we serve,” said Cindi Bulla, 2020 chairman of Texas Realtors. “For example, despite access to a myriad of technology resources to search for homes, buyers continue to place a high value on local Realtor market knowledge when it comes to selecting the right home, negotiating the right price and guidance through the buying process.”

Buyers who purchased previously owned homes mentioned better prices, value and charm as the top motivating factors. Buyers of newly built homes cited avoiding renovations or plumbing and electrical problems as top reasons they purchased a new home.

The majority of Texas homebuyers (67%) were married couples, followed by single females (17%), single males (10%) and unmarried couples (5%). The median age of Texas homebuyers was 52, five years more than last year.

Bulla continued, “While Texas was slightly better than the national average of homebuyer diversity, we still have work to do. Across the state, we are still seeing white buyers make up the largest share of homebuyers, while those identifying as Hispanic or Black make up 14% and 5%, respectively. We as Texas Realtors must be laser-focused on strategies to ensure that homeownership is attainable and affordable for our entire population.”

In Texas, 78% of all buyers identified as white/Caucasian, 4% Asian/Pacific Islander, 5% Black/African-American and 14% Hispanic/Latino.

For Texans who sold their homes, the most popular reason for putting a home on the market was to move closer to friends or family, followed by job relocations and proximity to their work. Sellers spent a median of 12 years in their homes. The median sales price was $64,050 more than what sellers paid for their homes, and the median length the home spent on the market was four weeks.

About the Texas Homebuyers and Sellers Report
Data from the 2020 edition of the Texas Homebuyers and Sellers Report is derived from the 2019 Texas Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers by NAR, which analyzes survey data among Texans who bought or sold a home between July 2018 and June 2019. Texas REALTORS® distributes insights about the Texas housing market throughout the year, including quarterly market statistics, trends among homebuyers and sellers, luxury home sales, international trends and more. To view the Texas Homebuyers and Sellers Report in its entirety, visit texasrealestate.com.

About Texas REALTORS®
With more than 135,000 members, Texas REALTORS® is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. In 2020, Texas REALTORS® is celebrating a century of shaping Texas by being the advocate for private property rights, maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, and providing its members with the tools to achieve success. Visit texasrealestate.com to learn more.

Release Contact:
Morgan Moritz
Pierpont Communications
[email protected]

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/175272/texas_association_of_realtors_logo.jpg

SOURCE Texas REALTORS

Learn4Life: Now is the Worst Time to Hinder School Choice

August 26, 2020

A Learn4Life student learns in on-site personalized instruction while maintaining physical distancing.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — While legislation is being considered to aid public schools in dealing with the remote learning crisis, opponents of school choice have added clauses that reduce or eliminate funding to nonclassroom-based charters like Learn4Life. Instead of handicapping a successful method of teaching and engaging students in times of crisis, decision-makers should highlight and adapt traditional public schools to a proven flexible model as they transfer students in and out of on-site learning.

Learn4Life, a network of nonprofit charter schools that serves at-risk students who have struggled in traditional high school and have dropped out or are so far behind, they won’t be able to graduate with their class. These schools offer a personalized learning model that has allowed them to easily adapt to remote learning.

“Once we got laptops and hotspots into the hands of our students in the first week, we resumed one-on-one teaching to keep our students engaged and motivated,” explained Dr. Caprice Young, national superintendent. “Educators need to shift their focus to personalized, high-intensity learning. They need to replace day-long, large-group video instruction with fewer hours each week of individual, one-on-one or small-group instruction.”

Young points out that too many teens are bored and struggling with remote learning. Teachers are video lecturing to kids who are likely reading at different grade levels, with varying attention spans, special needs or English language challenges. Educators must identify strategies that will dramatically increase the effectiveness of remote learning during the pandemic. The traditional high school model, of five or six courses with 25-40 students in each class doesn’t work online.

Learn4Life serves more than 49,000 students, helping them get a diploma, job training and life skills – all for free. Most are minorities, socio-economically disadvantaged and have aged out of high school (Learn4Life can serve students up to age 22). Many are teen parents or have adult responsibilities like the need to work or take care of family members.

Putting students back into schools means putting money back into the economy. Instead of creating a lifelong drain on public resources, the hundreds of thousands of dropouts saved go on to become productive, contributing members of society. These graduates are on track to break the generational chain of poverty, as many are the first in their families to graduate with a high school diploma.

Every dropout who earns their diploma is six times more likely to vote; 67 percent less likely to be unemployed and eight times less likely to be incarcerated. Saving dropouts means billions saved in social services such as law enforcement and other social impacts, plus billions created in tax revenue from higher earning graduates

Read more about how this life-saving charter school is helping the most underserved student populations, before and during the pandemic.

About Learn4Life
Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public schools that provides students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 49,000 students – including full-time and intersession students – we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Ann Abajian, Learn4Life
(844) 515-8186
[email protected]

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1243776/Learn4Life.jpg

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082802/Learn4Life_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Learn4Life

The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center in Westwood to begin phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial in Los Angeles County

August 26, 2020

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center in Westwood will soon begin recruiting volunteers for phase 3 trials of a new investigational COVID-19 vaccine with the first dose expected to be administered in early September.

The vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, is called AZD1222 and has already gone through early trials. This trial is designed to determine whether the vaccine can prevent symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses. The study aims to enroll 30,000 volunteers across the United States. It is important to note that this vaccine does not have a live virus and cannot give a person COVID-19. If the results from the trial are positive, the vaccine could be made available to the public to prevent disease.

“We are excited to work with the National Institutes of Health on this study to identify an effective and safe vaccine for COVID-19, particularly for those communities most impacted by this pandemic,” said Dr. Eric Daar, Lead Researcher for the Lindquist Institute on this trial, Chief of HIV Medicine at the Harbor UCLA Medical Center and professor at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine “We are looking forward to engaging and talking with those who are interested in enrolling in the study—without the support from volunteers, identifying an effective vaccine won’t be possible. LA County has been hit hard by the virus; vaccines end pandemics, and it is our hope and goal that we can come together and help stop COVID-19 in LA and everywhere.”

“This is a critical moment in time—we need a groundswell of turnout from those in the Los Angeles community to volunteer for this study,” said Dr. Raphael Landovitz, Lead Researcher for UCLA Medical Center in Westwood on this trial, and Co-Director at UCLA’s Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services. “In vaccine trials, it is extremely important that we don’t only focus on one population; at the same time, it is critical to enroll those who are highest risk of getting exposed, and also getting sick if exposed. Help Stop COVID LA is an opportunity for us to come together, to be a part of the solution, and to move forward together.”

Lundquist Institute and UCLA Medical Center in Westwood are part of the COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN). The clinical research network, supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH, aims to enroll thousands of volunteers in large-scale clinical trials testing a variety of investigational vaccines and monoclonal antibodies intended to protect people from COVID-19.

Lundquist and UCLA Westwood are seeking to engage and recruit more than 750 volunteers who reside in Los Angeles County, primarily including individuals at high-risk for severe disease. This includes:

Persons over 60 years of age;
Persons with preexisting medical conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

The data on communities that have been most impacted by COVID-19 is clear—across Los Angeles County and nationally, Black and Latinx communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. These groups are highly represented in Los Angeles and will be given every opportunity to participate in this important vaccine study because it is critical to enroll those who are at highest risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19.

To be eligible, a volunteer cannot have tested positive for COVID-19. Volunteers will be assigned at random to receive a placebo (saline injection) or the investigational vaccine. The trial is blinded, meaning the participants and the investigators will not know who receives the vaccine. Of the volunteers enrolled, two-thirds will get the study vaccine and one-third will get a placebo or harmless injection. This allows researchers to compare outcomes in the vaccine group versus the placebo group. In the two years that follow, researchers will monitor all study volunteers for the development of symptomatic COVID-19.

To find out more and sign up to volunteer please visit www.helpstopcovid.la

About The Lundquist Institute:
The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation is a 501(c)3 independent non-profit biomedical research organization that was founded in 1952. The Institute has over more than 120 principal investigators and 400 researchers in total — MD’s, MD/PhD’s, and PhD’s — working on over 1,000 research studies. We are academically affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and work in partnership with the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Our research is funded by many sources including: grants from the NIH and other government entities, Industry and teaching contracts and royalties, as well as private donors and other non-profit foundations.

About UCLA Medical Center in Westwood Division of Infectious Diseases:
The Division of Infectious Disease at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood is comprised of a diverse faculty with the shared goal of excellence in patient care, research and education. The division specializes in the care of general medical and surgical patients, departing or returning travelers, transplant and other immuno-compromised patients, and people infected with HIV. Members of the faculty are also responsible for improving the health of the broader UCLA community through the Antibiotic Stewardship Program and Hospital Infection Control and Epidemiology. At each of the practice sites, faculty also perform a broad range of research activities – from hospital epidemiology to HIV prevention; from TB and HIV vaccine development to new treatment strategies for HIV; from studies of viral hepatitis to swine flu, just to name a few.

SOURCE The Lundquist Institute

The Home Depot Mobilizes to Support Communities Facing Hurricane Laura

August 25, 2020

ATLANTA, Aug. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As Hurricane Laura marches toward the Gulf Coast, The Home Depot^® will activate its Hurricane Command Center to support communities preparing for the storm.

This year, the Hurricane Command Center will be virtual to prioritize safety and social distancing. More than 250 associates from the company’s merchandising, operations and supply chain teams are working around the clock to move truckloads of products to stores in Texas and Louisiana. So far more than 230 trucks have reached the area with products like generators, water, tarps, batteries and flashlights.

There are more than 50 Home Depot stores in the areas that could see impacts from Hurricane Laura. Stores will remain open as long as it’s safe to do so.

“Our associates are vital to helping our communities brace for this approaching storm and we’re extremely grateful for their hard work,” said Hector Padilla, president of the Southern Division of The Home Depot. “We’ll continue to hope for minimal impact from this storm as we prioritize the safety of our associates and customers in this active hurricane season.”

The Home Depot Foundation is working with national nonprofit partners including Team Rubicon, Convoy of Hope, Operation Blessing, All Hands and Hearts and ToolBank Disaster Service.

The Home Depot Foundation works with its nonprofit partners ahead of disaster season to pre-fortify warehouses with emergency supplies so they’re able to activate in impacted communities quickly. Operation Blessing has sent emergency water and storm clean-up supplies and will deploy more after the hurricane weakens.

“Our thoughts are with the communities that may be impacted by this storm,” said Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “We’re working closely with our nonprofit partners to identify critical needs so we can provide immediate support. In addition to financial support, our Team Depot associate volunteers will work alongside our disaster relief partners to assist the people and areas impacted.”

The Homer Fund, Home Depot’s employee assistance program, is also ready to process grants for associates affected by the storm. In 2019, The Homer Fund gave more than $16 million to associates, including nearly $1 million to assist families affected by natural disasters.

About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,293 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2019, The Home Depot had sales of $110.2 billion and earnings of $11.2 billion. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

About The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation works to improve the homes and lives of U.S. veterans, train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap and support communities impacted by natural disasters. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $350 million in veteran causes and improved more than 47,000 veteran homes and facilities in 4,500 cities. The Foundation has pledged to invest half of a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025. To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and on Facebook + Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/118058/the_home_depot_logo.jpg

SOURCE The Home Depot

1...1,9621,9631,964...3,056 Page 1,963 of 3,056