You probably remember a lot of the issues we faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and you might recall there was a shortage of rapid tests and working equipment.
The Valley Health Foundation sure hasn’t forgotten and honored Bloom Energy founder and CEO KR Sridhar at its Tribute to Heroes gala in San Jose for his part in helping Silicon Valley stay healthy.
“In this vibrant heart of Silicon Valley where innovation thrives, one name stands out as the beacon of hope and progress,” said Muhammed Chaudhry, Valley Health Foundation’s board chair. “He has this innate ability to integrate innovation with a purpose of supporting Silicon Valley.”
When employees at valley companies were using COVID tests that took 3-4 days to get results, Sridhar negotiated for technology that brought a rapid test — results in just four hours — to Silicon Valley. Bloom workers also tackled a tough engineering problem to fix broken but desperately needed ventilators, and Bloom helped provide a mobile vaccination clinic that served about 80,000 people.
And when Carl Guardino, then a vice president with Bloom Energy, pitched Sridhar on the idea of being the lead sponsor of a Independence Day-themed 5K/10K run to support the Valley Health Foundation in 2021, Sridhar was all in and the Stars and Strides run was born.
Sridhar showed a rare humility for a valley CEO when he accepted the award, deflecting praise from himself to Bloom Energy’s employees.
“They’re the ones that make it happen; I’m the spokesperson, so let me accept this on their behalf,” he said.
The Sept. 21 gala at Hayes Mansion in San Jose was attended by more than 450 people and brought in about $500,000 for the foundation, which supports the Santa Clara County Hospital System.
NOTES OF GRATITUDE: The Rev. Julia McCray-Goldsmith retired at the end of September as dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown San Jose, a position she held for two years, following three years as priest in charge.
As she stepped down, McCray-Goldsmith shared a recent experience that she felt illustrated the reconciliatory place a church can be. She concedes that she’s about as much a California liberal as you can get, living in Berkeley, driving an electric car and voting blue up and down her ballot.
But one recent afternoon when she entered the grounds of the downtown church, she encountered an agitated person camped outside the side door who screamed at her and threatened to assault her. She called the police and sank into a chair in the office of the cathedral administrator, who happens to be Shane Patrick Connolly, chair of Santa Clara County’s Republican Party.
Connolly is someone who she couldn’t be farther apart from politically, but she said they share a common purpose at the cathedral and have become friends as a result.
Related Articles
Local News |
Prove you can hold your beer at Gordon Biersch Oktoberfest
Local News |
Heroic effort …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
