January is packed with programs offering support, education, and hope. RSVP today via email or call 805.379.4777.

• Men's Prostate Cancer Support Group (NEW!)
  2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 6:30-8pm
  Next meeting is January 26
  TWCVV, 530 Hampshire Rd
  Westlake Village, CA 91361
  Click for details
• Frankly Speaking About Cancer Treatment Side Effects with Dr. Shay Ashouri
  Thursday, January 20, 7-8:30pm
  Simi Valley Senior Center, 3900 Avenida Simi, Simi Valley, CA 93063
  Click for details.
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Chatsworth)
  8-week course on Wednesdays, January 26-March 16, 1-3:15pm
  9410 Owensmouth Avenue, Chatsworth, CA 91311
  Click for details.
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Oxnard)
  Thursdays, January 27-March 17, 6:30-8:45pm
  TWCVV Ventura County Oxnard/Camarillo Satellite, St. John's Cancer Center, 1700 North Rose Ave, Suite 145, Oxnard, CA 93030.
  Click for details.
• Frankly Speaking about Colorectal Cancer with Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, FACP
  Saturday, January 29, 11am -1pm
  TWCVV, 530 Hampshire Rd, Westlake Village, CA 91361
  Click for details.
• Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Spotlight on Breast Reconstruction with High Tea
  Sunday, January 30, 12pm-2:30pm
  Westlake Village Inn, 31943 Agoura Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361
  Click for details.
• Nutrition from a Chinese Medicine Perspective with Alex Berks, MTOM, L.Ac, FABORM, AAPOM
  Monday, January 31, 6:30-8pm
  TWCVV, 530 Hampshire Rd, Westlake Village, CA 91361
  Click for details.

Do you have a Ralphs Rewards card? If so, you can help raise money for The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura while you shop!

Ralphs will donate a percentage of the dollar amount of grocery purchases to The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura four times a year when members use their Ralphs Rewards card and are registered online to have us as the recipient.

Follow these simple steps to register your card:

• Visit www.ralphs.com/myralphs
• Sign in to your account (you may have to create an account if you have not done so before)
• Click on "My Account"
• Scroll down and click on "Community Rewards"
• Add The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura as your charity you would like Ralph's to contribute to by searching for our name. We are organization 92521.

If you have any questions at all, please contact The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura at 805-379-4777.

It's not too late to get your tickets for the STAND UP FOR CANCER SURVIVORS COMEDY FUNdraiser to benefit TWCVV. The event will be held Thursday, Jan. 20, 7pm at the Scherr Forum at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Enjoy a hilarious line-up of professional comics for a side-splitting, rip-roaring good time. Tickets $20-30, available at TWCVV, Civic Arts Plaza Box Office, and ticketmaster.com.

This year's talented line-up includes Randy Lubas, Jamie Alcroft, Dennis Blair, and Joanie Fagan. Click here to read more about these stellar comedians.

We want to thank all of you who donated funds to match our challenge grant from the Hugh E. & Marjorie S. Petersen Foundation. We were able to raise $88,000 toward the $100,000 goal, and we greatly appreciate the support we received from all of our donors. Thank you for giving the gift of hope! Please remember that your donations make a difference at any time! Click here to make a secure donation online.

Thanks also to everyone who helped make the 19th Annual Holiday Homes Tour a success. With your help, we raised $52,000 to help fund our cancer support programs. Please click here to view a list of our Holiday Homes Tour supporters.

Register for the Revlon Run/Walk and be a part of helping to defeat women's cancers. You can also help TWCVV by joining The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura team!

The 2011 Revlon Run/Walk will be held Saturday, May 7 in Los Angeles. Cost is $30 if you use the LATeam5 promotional code and register before February 15th; Register by mail using a pamphlet available at TWCVV, or click here to register online. Please search for the team name The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura and join when registering.

Bus transportation will be provided from Thousand Oaks. Space is limited, so please call 805.379.4777 to reserve your spot!

Please save the date for our 20th Anniversary Gala and Awards Celebration on May 6th, 2011, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Westlake Village.

As we celebrate our 20th year of service to people with cancer and their families in our community, we will be honoring people at our 20th Anniversary Gala who have provided help and inspiration to people with cancer.

To learn more about sponsorship, or to place a message or advertisement in the program book, please call Madeline Sattler at 805.379.4777.

We want to thank everyone who has made the Garden of Hope possible. If you purchased a brick, tile, or bench and have not confirmed your inscription with Claudia Gonzalez, please contact her as soon as possible at 805.379.4777 or via email .

We will be installing the hardscape in the plaza area this month, including the plaza fountain, bricks, tiles and benches. We would like to extend a special thank you to Landmark Design, Conejo Complete Landscape, SM Masonry, Nick Williams Design, Southern California Edison, and Cantera Especial for their help with this phase of the project. For a complete list of donors and local companies who have donated in-kind services and materials, click here.

There are still a few naming opportunities available in the garden, for more information click here. Thank you!

Pictured: The Plaza Fountain

TWCVV will hold a Legacy Society Reception on Sunday, February 27. Invitations will be sent to Legacy Society members next week. Featured guest Claudia Sangster will provide expert advice on tax saving and wealth preservation strategies.

Claudia Sangster is Director of Philanthropy, Estate and Trust Services at Harris myCFO. Claudia is responsible for managing the philanthropy services division for Harris myCFO, which includes structuring and implementation of clients' charitable vehicles for giving and in working with families to create its legacy of giving through multiple generations

To learn more about becoming a Legacy Society member through planned giving, please contact Suzanne Drace at 805.371.0417.

President Obama signed into law the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-312), which provides a two-year retroactive extension of the IRA Charitable Rollover. The new law reinstated the Rollover for 2010 and allows any eligible gifts made by January 31, 2011 to be treated as a 2010 donation and to be used to satisfy the taxpayer's minimum distribution requirement for 2010.

Further, the expiration date for the Charitable Rollover is now set at December 31, 2011. Please contact your tax adviser for more information.

Text the word COMMUNITY to the phone number 90999 to donate $10 to help families affected by cancer. Full terms and conditions at www.mgive.com/a.

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