A Giant Hip Hip Hooray for Allstate Agent and Saint John’s Volunteer Zachary Wandell

Recipient of the 2018 Ray Lynch Community Service Award!

Sacramento Allstate agency owner and community volunteer extraordinaire Zachary Wandell has been awarded the prestigious 2018 Ray Lynch Community Service Award, and we couldn’t be prouder! The award is Allstate’s top national honor commending an agency owner or financial specialist for giving back and supporting people and organizations in their local communities. The award, established in 2000 in memory of Allstate agency owner Ray Lynch, who passed away in 1999, honors and encourages others to follow his example of 32 years of dedicated service in support of their communities.

In 2017, Wandell approached Saint John’s with a unique fundraising idea: his proposal was to hold what he called a “Scoop Scoot,” a 1.5-mile run to a local ice cream shop, where participants enjoy a scoop of ice cream before running back to their starting point. Proceeds from the event would benefit Saint John’s, as well as The Child Life Programs and the Front Street Animal Shelter. Through its inaugural event in 2017 and the second event taking place this past July, Wandell’s Scoop Scoot has raised $45,000 in support of these organizations.

In addition, Wandell inspires others at Allstate to get involved and give back to their communities. At Saint John’s, we host 10 Guest Chef Dinners per year at Plates Café, where chefs from popular restaurants in Sacramento supervise our Employment Training Program participants to prepare and serve scrumptious meals as a fund raiser for Saint John’s. Wandell decided that it would be nice to return the favor to our women, so he recruited 35 of his colleagues at Allstate to participate in a “Reverse Guest Chef Dinner,” where Wandell and his coworkers prepare and serve dinner to the clients of Saint John’s! On October 22, the third annual Reverse Guest Chef Dinner will take place at Plates Café.

“Our clients are working so hard through our program to realize Real Change in their lives,” comments Saint John’s Executive Director Michele Steeb. “The Reverse Guest Chef Dinner is a wonderful opportunity for the community to recognize and celebrate THEM and their accomplishments. We are so grateful to Zack for his creativity, for his commitment to giving back, and for his stewardship of Saint John’s through this event and through the super-fun Scoop Scoot run!”

“As a small business owner, Zack is ingrained in his community,” adds Allstate’s California Region Field Senior Vice President, and Saint John’s Board Member, Phil Telgenhoff. “He has always gone above and beyond to help those in need, and it’s incredible to see the impact that he has made.”

In addition to the Scoop Scoot and the Reverse Guest Chef Dinner events, Zack is also the creator of other fundraising events in and around Sacramento including the Donut Dash, started in 2009, and the Duck Dash, launched in 2013. The two events have earned a combined $717,000 in funds benefitting local charities.

Click here to learn more about how Allstate wants us to live the “Good Life.”

Blog by Sue Cawdrey
Grants & Communications Manager
Saint John’s Program for Real Change

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