News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California
By Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Save the Date! Please join us for our 2026 Annual Contra Costa Fire Open House!
Learn about the Fire District’s programs, meet your firefighters, enjoy live demonstrations, food and drinks, and educational booths.
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: 2945 Treat Blvd., Concord
For more information about Con Fire visit www.cccfpd.org.
By Miranda de la O, Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce
Pleasant Hill’s youngest residents will lead the way into a new community tradition on Saturday, October 10, when the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce presents the inaugural Pleasant Hill Harvest Festival on Crescent Drive in Downtown Pleasant Hill.
Before the festival opens at noon, children from local preschools, Transitional Kindergarten programs and families throughout the community will gather for the first Pleasant Hill Stampede, a food-drive procession that will officially open the new fall festival.
Staging begins at 10:45 a.m. at the Plaza near Jack’s Restaurant. At 11:15 a.m., participating children will make their way down Crescent Drive to the Community Stage beneath the Pleasant Hill Arch, where they will help kick off the day’s festivities.
The Stampede is not a race. Children are encouraged to dress for the occasion with cowboy hats, cow ears, bandanas and other western or harvest-inspired attire as they parade through Downtown Pleasant Hill.
Participation comes with one important requirement: a donation of non-perishable food benefiting the Food Pantry at Hillcrest Congregational Church.
Local schools are being encouraged to collect food in the weeks leading up to the event and arrive at the Stampede with their collective donations, turning the opening celebration into a community-wide food drive. Families may register through participating schools or directly through the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce.
“Harvest has always been about celebrating what we have and sharing it with others,” said Jeremy, Executive Director of the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce. “There is something very special about having our youngest residents begin this new tradition by giving back to their own community. My hope is that years from now, some of these children will remember participating in the very first Stampede and eventually return with children of their own.”
At noon, the Pleasant Hill Harvest Festival officially opens along Crescent Drive, with free admission and activities continuing until 9 p.m.
The day will feature live entertainment, a pumpkin patch and pumpkin decorating competition, petting zoo, face painting, balloon artists, midway games, rock climbing, artisan vendors, seasonal displays, and beer and wine. Select activities and beverages will require separately purchased tickets.
Local schools and community performers are expected to open the entertainment schedule, with final participants still being confirmed. The afternoon and evening will feature live performances by Spinout, FirePeach and Zebop!
Downtown Pleasant Hill restaurants and merchants will also be part of the festival experience. Rather than separating the event from the surrounding business district, the Chamber has designed the festival to encourage attendees to eat, shop and explore throughout Downtown Pleasant Hill.
“The Harvest Festival gives us an opportunity to bring the community together while putting local businesses at the center of the experience,” said Alex Khodadad, Chairman of the Board of the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce. “We want to create something that feels distinctly Pleasant Hill and that families will look forward to year after year. This October is the beginning of that tradition.”
The Harvest Festival draws inspiration from Pleasant Hill’s agricultural past, when orchards, farms and harvest seasons were part of the landscape. The Chamber developed the event as a contemporary celebration of that history, bringing the idea of the harvest into today’s Downtown through food, music, family activities, local businesses and community giving.
For its inaugural year, the festival will be concentrated along Crescent Drive, creating a walkable event connecting the Community Stage, family activities, artisan vendors, restaurants, merchants and gathering spaces.
The Chamber intends the Pleasant Hill Harvest Festival and Stampede to become annual traditions, with the children of the community ceremonially opening the festival each year.
Event Information
Pleasant Hill Harvest Festival
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Crescent Drive, Downtown Pleasant Hill
Festival: Noon–9 p.m.
Admission: Free; tickets required for select activities and beverages. www.pleasanthillchamber.com/harvest-festival/
Pleasant Hill Stampede
Staging: 10:45 a.m., Plaza near Jack’s Restaurant
Stampede begins: 11:15 a.m.
Participation requires a non-perishable food donation benefiting the Food Pantry at Hillcrest Congregational Church.
For Stampede registration, activity and beverage ticket information, festival updates and additional information are available through the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce visit PleasantHillChamber.com/harvest-festival.
About the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce
The Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce supports and advocates for the local business community while creating opportunities for businesses, residents and community organizations to connect. Through advocacy, partnerships, business programs and community events, the Chamber works to strengthen Pleasant Hill’s local economy and community.
Rescued produce sorted at White Pony Express before delivery to community partners in Contra Costa County. Source: WPE
By Tyler McCarthy, Outreach Associate, White Pony Express
On Friday afternoon, for a student who eats breakfast and lunch at school, the dismissal bell does more than end the school day. It starts a 68-hour clock. The last dependable school meal of the week has just been served. The next one won’t arrive until Monday morning.
We hear from our school partners what those hours can mean. As one parent liaison put it: “My thinking was that if I can give them a meal for Saturday, then they only have to get through Sunday. That lessens the need.”
California has done something remarkable. In 2022–23, it became the first state in the nation to guarantee every public school student access to free breakfast and lunch, regardless of family income. Nearly 3.5 billion school meals have been served since the program began.
It works. And at a time when changes to federal nutrition programs are putting additional pressure on some California families, it’s an achievement we must protect.
But hunger doesn’t follow a school calendar.
California’s universal meals program feeds children during the school day. Children still need to eat Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, holidays and school breaks. California has also embraced summer grocery benefits for eligible families, another important piece of the solution. But summer assistance does not solve the gap that arrives every week between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.
For a family already choosing between rent, utilities, transportation, and groceries, those aren’t simply gaps in a schedule. They can be the days the refrigerator runs empty. That’s where White Pony Express makes an enormous difference.
Every day, White Pony Express drivers collect surplus food from grocers, farms, wholesalers, and restaurants – high-quality food that is perfectly good but has nowhere to go. We sort it for quality the same day and deliver it, free of charge, to neighbors throughout Contra Costa County. Of the 135,000 people White Pony Express serves each year, nearly one-third – about 40,300 – are children.
Photo: WPE
Our School Pantry Program brings fresh groceries directly into 23 school communities where 80 percent or more of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Families shop at no cost, with no forms and no questions asked.
One pantry coordinator remembers a young mother raising three children alone after losing her husband. She came to the pantry for groceries, including peanut butter and chicken.
“She doesn’t have money to buy much,” the coordinator told us, “but she told me it’s a blessing to have White Pony Express helping us.”
Since the School Pantry Program began in 2015, White Pony Express has delivered more than three million pounds of food to school communities – the equivalent of roughly 2.5 million meals.
The model works because it connects two resources that already exist: good food that would otherwise go unused and trusted neighborhood schools where families already gather.
It also demonstrates something larger. Public programs and community organizations do not have to compete with one another. They can complete one another.
Photos: WPE
California has shown what is possible when we make a public commitment to feed children at school and then build a system capable of doing it at an extraordinary scale. Now we need to look just as honestly at the hours the school cafeteria cannot cover.
More than two million California children still lack reliable access to healthy food. For them, the problem doesn’t begin Monday morning. It begins Friday afternoon, when the bell rings. And that is a gap communities like ours can – and must – close.
To volunteer, donate food, or support the School Pantry Program, visit whiteponyexpress.org.
Rustom Bhagwager and Jennifer Powell were convicted by separate juries on this week. Photos: CCC Sheriff’s Office
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Martinez, California – Separate juries in Contra Costa Superior Court convicted Rustom Bhagwagar and Jennifer Spitz Powell on all charges related to the repeated sexual abuse of a young girl.
A jury found 46-year-old Powell guilty on Monday, September 28th, and a second jury found 35-year-old Bhagwagar guilty on Tuesday, September 29th. Bhagwagar, a former commercial airline co-pilot from Florida, and Powell, from Walnut Creek, were each convicted of eight counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years old or younger and 12 counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14.
Due to the victim’s age and the nature of the crimes, the victim will not be named by the District Attorney’s Office to protect her identity.
The case was heard in Martinez before Judge Danielle Douglas. In a rare dual-jury format, the court tried two defendants at once while making sure each jury heard only the evidence that applied to its assigned defendant. Evidence presented to both juries showed that the sexual abuse of the victim began when she was 7 years old and occurred from on or about October 17th, 2017, to October 16th, 2022. Powell, who was in a relationship with Bhagwagar, participated with him in numerous acts of abuse against the victim.
As previously reported, Bhagwagar, who worked as a co-pilot with a commercial airline, was arrested on July 26, 2025, at San Francisco International Airport by deputies with the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office – with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. Three days later, Detectives arrested Powell. (See related article)
Bhagwagar and Powell each face a maximum sentence of 230 years to life in state prison. Both remain in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility and will be sentenced by the court at a future date.
Deputy District Attorney Haleigh Parkinson of the Sexual Assault Unit prosecuted the case with support from a trial team that included legal assistants, a victim advocate, and victim support staff.
District Attorney Diana Becton said, “This young survivor showed extraordinary courage by testifying in court and facing the people who used duress to harm her. These verdicts hold both defendants accountable. I am grateful to our entire team for their dedication in seeking, serving, and doing justice in this case.”
Case No. 01-25-02241 | The People of the State of California v. Rustom Bhagwagar R BHAGWAGAR Amended Info Filed
Case No. 01-25-02242 | The People of the State of California v. Jennifer Spitz Powell J S POWELL Amended Info Filed
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
By Greg Wiley, Public Relations Manager, The Big Bounce America
Contra Costa, CA (September 21, 2026) – The Big Bounce America, home to the world’s largest bounce house, extending its high-energy experience in the Bay Area for two weekends, October 17-18 and Oct 24-25. Featuring more than 50,000 square feet of inflatable attractions, the event transforms the Contra Costa Fair and Event Park into a fully immersive playground filled with live music, laughter, and unforgettable fun for ALL!
Designed for all ages, The Big Bounce America features dedicated sessions for younger children, bigger kids, and adults — so everyone can JUMP IN and join the fun.
“This isn’t just an event, it’s a full-blown, larger-than-life experience,” said David Taube, Tour Director of The Big Bounce America. “We’re talking about the biggest bounce house on the planet, live DJs, a 900-foot-long obstacle course, and nonstop energy from the moment you walk in. We’re bringing a festival-level atmosphere where kids, parents, teens, and adults can jump, dance, and lose themselves in the fun. It’s truly an unforgettable experience for everyone.”
The event features seven massive inflatable attractions, including:
The World’s Largest Bounce House
Covering over 24,000 square feet and standing 32 feet tall, this record-breaking inflatable is a full-blown party zone. Inside, guests will find giant slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops, and colorful interactive elements. A live DJ keeps the energy high with music, games, and competitions tailored to each age group—turning every session into a dance party in the sky.
The Giant
At over 900 feet long, this epic obstacle course is built for thrill-seekers of all skill levels. With more than 50 challenges and a massive finale slide, it’s perfect for friendly competition—or just bouncing your way through a wildly fun adventure.
Sport Slam
Get ready to bring your A-game! Sport Slam is a high-energy, action-packed arena where bouncing meets friendly competition. Packed with hoops, goals, climbing challenges, and fast-paced games, this inflatable playground lets you dunk, kick, race, and battle your way to bragging rights. Challenge your friends, take on your family, or jump into the chaos with new competitors—every corner is built for non-stop movement and big-time fun. Whether you’re channeling your inner all-star or just looking to let loose, Sport Slam keeps the adrenaline pumping from start to finish.
airSPACE
Step into an immersive, space-themed world filled with aliens, moon craters, and intergalactic fun. Featuring a towering inflatable alien, multi-lane slides, and endless ball pits, airSPACE delivers an out-of-this-world experience for explorers of all ages.
Other on-site Activities
Additional on-site attractions include food trucks, shaded rest areas, and family-friendly entertainment. Guests can bring their own food and drinks or purchase from on-site vendors.
Note: Attractions subject to change.
TICKETS: All-Access tickets are available now and include a three-hour pass to the event, featuring a timed session in The World’s Largest Bounce House plus unlimited access to all other attractions. Advanced purchase is strongly encouraged, as sessions frequently sell out. Tickets start at $35. Buy tickets at https://TheBigBounceAmerica.com/Tour-Dates/.
LOCATION: Contra Costa Fair and Event Park (1201 W 10th St, Antioch, CA 94509)
DAYS/TIMES: Saturday, October 17th: 9a-9p; Sunday, October 18th: 9a-6p; Saturday, October 24 9a-9p; Sunday, October 25 9a-6p.
Follow the fun on social media:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheBigBounceAmerica/
Instagram: @TheBigBounceAmerica
Twitter: @TheBigBounceUSA
ABOUT THE BIG BOUNCE AMERICA:
The Big Bounce America is the world’s largest traveling bounce house experience, welcoming thousands of guests in countries around the world since 2007. Learn more at www.thebigbounceamerica.com.
Zane Ishmael Covington, the logo of his band and a tattoo of it on his right shoulder. Source: Facebook posts on 2/14/25, 9/14/25 and 8/22/23.
By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California
OAKLAND – Zane Ishmael Covington was sentenced Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, to 25 years in federal prison for production, receipt, and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar handed down the sentence.
Covington, a 54-year-old Brentwood resident, was charged by complaint on September 29, 2025, and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on October 30, 2025, for these charges. Covington pleaded guilty on June 5, 2026, to all counts charged in the federal indictment. According to the plea agreement, Covington admitted to producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct in May 2021 and February 2022, involving two minor victims, both of whom were under 5 years old and to whom he held a position of trust.
In addition, Covington received child pornography involving a minor younger than 10 years old in August 2025, and, beginning from an unknown date continuing through October 1, 2025, Covington possessed hundreds of videos and images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors and toddlers.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Brannigan made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Jon S. Tigar also sentenced the defendant to a 10-year period of supervised release and ordered a $400 special assessment, forfeiture of electronic devices, and restitution in an amount to be determined on November 20, 2026. Covington remains in federal custody.
According to localcrimenews.com, Covington is White and was also arrested in 2010 by San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Deputies for possession of a controlled substance.
According to mylife.com, he was born on May 2, 1972, and previously lived in Richmond, Livermore and South Lake Tahoe, CA.
According to an East Bay Times report, Covington was “the drummer for an East Bay metal band known as Locked Up.” His Facebook page shows the band’s name and logo, and a photo of a tattoo of the logo on his right shoulder.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly I. Volkar is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea, Amala James, Andy Ding, and Yenni Weinberg. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the HSI San Francisco, the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Source: CA State Parks
By CA State Parks
SACRAMENTO — More California fourth-grade families are gaining free access to the nation’s largest and most diverse state park system. Since Governor Gavin and Jennifer Siebel Newsom announced a new, simplified name and sign-up period for California State Parks’ Free Fourth Grade Pass, downloads have increased by 46% compared to the first six weeks it was offered in 2026.
Governor Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, State Parks Director Armando Quintero and Assemblymember Jessica Caloza and others celebrate with California students during the launch event announcing the newly renamed Free Fourth Grade Pass last month at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Photo: California State Parks.
“Making this pass easier to find and use means more fourth graders are getting outside, discovering their state, and making memories with their families. We won’t stop bringing down barriers and expanding access to the places that make California so special,” said Governor Newsom.
For the first time since the pass was created five years ago, incoming California fourth graders in public school could get their Free Fourth Grade Pass in August and start the new school year with unlimited free access to 54 participating state parks. Fourth graders previously couldn’t sign up for the pass – formerly known as the California State Park Adventure Pass – until September, after the school year had already started in many districts throughout the state. In addition to opening in August, the pass is now valid for up to 13 months, through Aug. 31 of the following year, so it can be used from the time students start fourth grade until they begin fifth grade.
Parents and guardians can download the free pass for their fourth graders at ReserveCalifornia.com.
“Removing barriers to state parks is at the heart of Outdoors for All, and the numbers are already showing that the updates to our Free Fourth Grade Pass are doing exactly that,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “There’s still plenty of time for fourth graders to get their free pass and start exploring the nation’s largest and most diverse state park system. Get your Free Fourth Grade Pass today!”
Outdoors for All
The free pass is a cornerstone of Outdoors for All, Governor Newsom and the First Partner’s commitment to equitable park access, ensuring all Californians can enjoy the physical, mental and social benefits of the outdoors. Since the free pass program was launched in September 2021, more than 140,000 passes have been distributed to fourth graders and their families.
Along with all fourth graders in public school, California residents from all walks of life — including families receiving public assistance and anyone with a library card — can access free parks passes as part of Outdoors for All:
State Parks also recently completed a wildly popular free promotion of its Historian Passport, which saw more than 454,000 passes downloaded in just over two weeks. The pass is good through the end of the year.
Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors
The 54 participating state parks of the Free Fourth Grade Pass help complement the fourth-grade curriculum, bringing to life what fourth graders are learning in the classroom. Fourth grade is a unique time in a child’s development where they begin to better understand how the world around them works in concrete ways, and they are more receptive to engaging with nature and the environment.
Studies indicate that access to parks and green space can lead to improvements in children’s physical well-being, social-emotional learning and academic outcomes, with children experiencing reduced stress and demonstrating more enthusiasm for school.
How to Get Your Free Fourth Grade Pass
Signing up for the Free Fourth Grade Pass is easy. A parent or guardian can apply on ReserveCalifornia.com (account required) to download the pass. The only information required is a name, address, phone number and email address.
For more information about the Free Fourth Grade Pass program, visit parks.ca.gov/4thGrade.
Source: PORAC
By Allen D. Payton
In a post on the Pittsburg Police Officers Association Facebook page last week, they announced that a Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) Fund A Hero account has been established to raise funds to help one of their own who was shot inside the police station by a detainee earlier this month. (See related articles here and here)
Then, over the weekend on PORAC’s Facebook page it was also announced: “Pittsburg Police Officer Jimmy Sanchez was seriously injured in the line of duty on September 3. His courageous actions helped protect fellow officers and prevent further harm. Stand with Officer Sanchez and his family. Donate to his Fund A Hero here: https://porac.org/fundraiser/pittsburgpoa_officerjimmysanchez/ .”
More was shared both on that website and the Pittsburg POA’s Facebook page offering more details, most of which had previously been reported.
They wrote, “On Thursday, September 3, Officer Jimmy Sanchez of the Pittsburg Police Department was seriously injured in the line of duty while protecting others and carrying out his duties as a police officer.
“Jimmy is a four-and-a-half-year veteran of the Pittsburg Police Department who has dedicated himself to serving the community and helping those around him. During this tragic incident, Jimmy was violently attacked by an armed suspect inside the department’s booking facility.
“Jimmy had approached the suspect after he requested water and said he was not feeling well. In an act that reflects the compassion and professionalism he brings to his work, Jimmy was simply attempting to check on the suspect’s welfare when he was suddenly ambushed.
“The suspect attacked Jimmy, striking him repeatedly with a firearm before firing a single round. “Jimmy suffered serious gunshot injuries, including a wound to his lower abdomen below his body armor.
“Despite being brutally beaten and shot, Jimmy refused to give up.
“He continued fighting and played a critical role in preventing the suspect from firing additional rounds. Jimmy’s actions gave responding officers the precious time they needed to enter the booking facility, disarm the suspect, and bring the attack to an end.
“Jimmy’s courage and determination undoubtedly saved lives that day.
“He was transported for emergency medical care and underwent surgery for his injuries. He is now recovering with his family, friends, and his Pittsburg Police Department family by his side.
“While Jimmy focuses on healing, his family is facing the difficult reality of caring for a loved one recovering from a traumatic line-of-duty injury while also caring for their 10-month-old baby. The physical and emotional challenges of this recovery are significant, and the last thing Jimmy and his family should have to worry about is the financial burden that accompanies an unexpected injury like this.
“Your support will help provide Jimmy and his family with meals and other essential expenses while they navigate his recovery. Every contribution, regardless of size, is an opportunity to show Jimmy and his family that they are not alone.
“The Pittsburg community, Jimmy’s fellow officers, friends, and countless others have already surrounded him with an incredible outpouring of support.
“Now, we ask you to stand with Jimmy and his family as he continues to fight to recover.
“Thank you for supporting Officer Jimmy Sanchez, his family, and the Pittsburg Police Department during this incredibly difficult time. Your generosity, prayers, and encouragement mean more than words can express.”
———-
As of early Monday morning, Sept. 14th, a total of $10,975 had been raised.
According to the website, “100% of donation proceeds will go to the organizing PORAC Association to distribute to the individual and/or their family.”
Photo: Swim Across America
By Jenifer Howard, Swim Across America – San Francisco
Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host the 21st annual Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area Open Water Swim on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The iconic 1.5-mile point-to-point swim starts at Little Marina Green, 3650 Yacht Road, in San Francisco, and finishes in Aquatic Park. Swimmers, volunteers and kayakers are invited to participate and help raise funds for pediatric cancer research and patient care supporting the swim’s beneficiary UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland and San Francisco. Those who cannot participate in person can still make waves to fight cancer through SAA My Way, Swim Across America’s virtual option. To register, volunteer or donate, visit swimacrossamerica.org/sanfrancisco.
Established in 2006, Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area has granted more than $7 million to support the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco Survivors of Childhood Cancer Program. Each year, the charity swim brings together more than 500 swimmers, volunteers, spectators and supporters, along with Olympians and other special guests, for one of the Bay Area’s most memorable open water events.
“For 20 years, this community has shown what can happen when individuals take something they love — swimming — and turn it into a way to help families facing cancer,” said Laura Hovden, co-event director of Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area. “More than $7 million has gone directly to our local UCSF programs because swimmers, volunteers, kayakers, donors and teams keep showing up year after year. Our swim is about coming together, making waves and giving patients more hope and researchers more funds to make a difference.”
Few embody that commitment more than longtime swimmer, former San Francisco event director and three-time cancer survivor Susan Helmrich, captain of Team Susan Survives and one of this year’s leading fundraisers.
This year marks 49 years since Susan Helmrich’s first cancer diagnosis. She was just 21 years old when she was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Her second cancer diagnosis came 28 years ago. In 2009, she faced cancer for a third time and underwent a 6½-hour Whipple procedure for neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, followed by 23 days at Stanford Hospital.
Through it all, Susan has made raising money for cancer research a central part of her life. Throughout the years, Team Susan Survives has raised more than $1 million for local pediatric cancer research programs. As Susan approaches her 71st birthday, she has set an ambitious goal for this year: recruit 71 swimmers, kayakers, runners, cyclists, yogis, dancers, hikers, walkers and other supporters to Team Susan Survives and together raise $171,000 through the open water swim and SAA My Way.
“I am honored and proud to have survived cancer three times, and I want nothing more than to have anyone who ever gets a cancer diagnosis have the chance to live and survive as I have,” Susan said. “As the years go on, I realize that I am committed more than ever to raising money to help investigators, researchers, physicians and support services find a cure for cancer in our lifetime.”
Susan Helmrich is also swimming in memory of her mother, Edna Helmrich, who passed away in 2019 at age 92 and was herself a 53-year breast cancer survivor.
“She was my role model and my hero,” Susan said. “This year, I’m hoping that friends, old and new, from near and far will join me and Team Susan Survives to raise money for pediatric cancer research at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland.”
Another team entering the San Francisco Bay this year will be carrying the memory of someone deeply loved.
Team Batt Bunch, also known as KeckCrewSF, is captained by Mike Keck and will swim in honor and memory of Brian Batt, husband of Rene and father of swimmers Amelia and Sarah Batt. The team has participated in Swim Across America for many years, but its fight against cancer became profoundly personal when Brian was diagnosed with cancer.
Even while undergoing treatment, Brian remained determined to be there for his daughters. He scheduled his treatment so he could travel to England when Amelia and Sarah participated in an English Channel relay in 2022, where Amelia had the honor of touching France for the team, and again for their Loch Lomond swim in 2024. During treatment, Brian continued showing up at Aquatic Park to cheer the girls on during their training swims. Brian succumbed to cancer in the fall of 2025.
“Brian fought with strength, courage and dignity, and he kept showing up for his family through all of it,” Mike Keck said. “For years, we swam with Swim Across America to fight cancer. Then that fight became very real for our family and our team. Brian is missed terribly, but we will carry on just like he did, and we hope what we do can help spare other families from experiencing that same loss.”
The money raised by swimmers such as Helmrich, Keck and their teammates is already helping scientists at UCSF pursue promising new approaches to pediatric cancer.
Julie Saba, M.D., Ph.D., a UCSF pediatric oncologist, cancer researcher and director of the Swim Across America-supported research laboratory at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, leads research examining the genetic and metabolic drivers of childhood cancers. Her research team has identified important genetic drivers of neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, and has shown that disrupting the gene’s activity can prevent neuroblastoma cells from forming tumors. This research could ultimately offer a new avenue for targeting cancers in which the AF1q gene plays a role. Swim Across America funding helped support this work.
Saba also leads the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Swimmers, now in its eighth year participating in the San Francisco event.
“Without Swim Across America, I could not undertake the high-risk, high-reward studies that we believe hold benefit for the children and adults with cancer of tomorrow,” Saba said. “Nonprofit support of research is more important than ever.”
For Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area Co-Event Director Jackie NeJaime, the connection between the swimmers and researchers is what makes the event especially powerful.
“Our swimmers get to see exactly why their fundraising matters,” Jackie said. “Researchers like Dr. Saba are pursuing ideas that might otherwise struggle to get early funding, while our survivorship programs are helping young people long after their cancer treatment ends. When we swim from Little Marina Green to Aquatic Park, we know where the money is going and the impact this community is helping make.”
The event is also inspiring a new generation of swimmers to get involved.
Friends of Armada, captained by Julie Herson, returns for its third year with youth competitive swimmers from Albany Armada Aquatics Club. The team has already raised more than $17,000 during its involvement with Swim Across America and is working to raise even more this year for UCSF patients, physicians and researchers.
Also returning is UCSF Team Newborn, captained by Tom Shimotake, M.D., which will mark its 15th year participating in the San Francisco Bay swim. The team is made up of friends and supporters of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Intensive Care Nursery who share a commitment to fighting childhood cancer. Nearly one-quarter of pediatric malignancies are diagnosed during the first year of life, giving the team’s mission a particularly close connection to the patients its members serve.
Among the San Francisco community’s other leading fundraisers this year is Berkeley marathon swimmer Maya Merhige, who completed both the North Channel and Strait of Gibraltar this summer as part of her quest to complete the Oceans Seven. Merhige will be away at college on the day of the San Francisco swim but continues to raise funds for Swim Across America and its cancer research mission.
From cancer survivors to families swimming in memory of loved ones, young competitive swimmers and UCSF physicians and researchers, the September 12 swim will bring together hundreds with a shared goal: using the waters of San Francisco Bay to help create better outcomes for people facing cancer.
“Whether this is your first open water swim or you’ve been swimming in the Bay for decades, there is a place for you in this community,” Laura Hovden noted. “Swim, kayak, volunteer, create your own SAA My Way activity or support someone who is participating. Every person can help us make waves to fight cancer.”
Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987 and has helped fund clinical trials that contributed to the FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy medications Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq. In the past year, Swim Across America funded a breakthrough clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that showed that immunotherapy alone could successfully treat certain types of cancer. The organization also recently awarded two first-of-its-kind gene editing innovation grants to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, advancing novel CRISPR gene and base editing techniques used in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cellular therapies. Swim Across America supports more than 60 cancer research projects annually, has eight named Swim Across America labs, and supports work at many of the nation’s leading cancer institutions.
For more information, to join as a swimmer, volunteer or kayaker, or to participate virtually or donate to Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area, visit swimacrossamerica.org/sanfrancisco.
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With open water and pool swims in 27 communities across the United States – from Nantucket to under the Golden Gate Bridge – Swim Across America, along with the help of thousands of swimmers and volunteers nationwide, and past and current Olympians, is helping find better treatments and a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more, visit swimacrossamerica.org.
A child predator from Hercules was arrested in Walnut Creek during an Internet Crimes Against Children operation. Photo source: Hercules PD
By Hercules Police Department
Hercules Police Department Detectives recently participated in a multi-agency operation hosted by Walnut Creek PD and the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, targeting adults who used social media to target children for sexual exploitation. (See related article)
During the operation, Hercules Police Department Detectives assisted in the arrest of a suspect after he traveled to Walnut Creek, believing he was meeting a child. The suspect now faces charges including attempted lewd acts with a minor (PC 664/288(a)), contacting a minor to commit a sex offense (PC 288.3(a)), and arranging to meet a minor for sex (PC 288.4(b)).
The ICAC Task Force exists to identify predators before a real child is harmed, combining investigations, training, and victim support across our region. Operations like this one are the result of that collaborative multi-agency work. We’d like to thank all the involved officers for their tireless work and our allied agencies for their assistance.