Bloom Energy Announces Stars and Strides 5K/10K Charity Run to Benefit the Valley Medical Center Foundation

June 17, 2021

New inaugural event honors and supports Santa Clara County’s healthcare heroes and the people they serve

SAN JOSE, Calif – Today, Bloom Energy Executive Vice President Carl Guardino was joined by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) CEO Paul Lorenz, Valley Medical Center (VMC) Foundation Acting Executive Director Michael Elliott, and Santa Clara County Public Health Department executive Rhonda McClinton-Brown to announce the inaugural Bloom Energy Stars and Strides 5K/10K charitable walk/run in San Jose. Benefitting the VMC Foundation, the inaugural event will take place on Sunday, August 22, 2021.

The Bloom Energy Stars and Strides walk/run will honor and support Santa Clara County’s frontline medical workers and the communities they serve. All proceeds will benefit the VMC Foundation, a community-driven, nonprofit organization that raises funds in support of Silicon Valley’s most vital public healthcare institution – Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Hospitals & Clinics.

“Our healthcare professionals have worked tirelessly through this pandemic to ensure our safety, and Stars and Strides is an opportunity to give back,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo. “I’m thankful for the companies like Bloom Energy for deeply investing resources in our community, particularly to honor the incredible heroes in our healthcare system.”

Proceeds from this year’s Stars and Strides event will help the VMC Foundation bring COVID-19 vaccinations to Santa Clara County’s underserved and vulnerable communities, support the mental welfare of our frontline healthcare workers after a particularly tumultuous year, and bolster services and aide for critical healthcare needs in the community such as pediatric diabetes.

“We are honored to kick off the annual Bloom Energy Stars and Strides charitable run to bring our community together, promote health and clean air, and celebrate our frontline healthcare workers and the people they serve,” said Carl Guardino, executive vice president, Bloom Energy. “Our mission is to make clean, reliable and affordable energy for everyone in the world – and that starts here at home with a healthy, resilient community. We are proud to celebrate our healthcare professionals’ outstanding service to us all, especially during the pandemic this past year. We look forward to continuing the tradition for years to come.”

“We are excited to partner with Bloom Energy again, and we are humbled that the proceeds from this annual event will benefit the Foundation as we recover from our most challenging year ever,” said Michael Elliott. “As the nonprofit fundraising arm for our local public healthcare system – Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Hospitals & Clinics – the VMC Foundation raises funds to purchase life-saving medical equipment, expand essential health programs, and further SCVMC’s mission to ensure that every resident of Santa Clara County can access high-quality healthcare regardless of ability to pay.”

This year’s inaugural event will be held in accordance and close consultation with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department to ensure optimal safety for all participants as the State re-opens. The annual Bloom Energy Stars and Strides 5K/10K is intended to be part of the region’s July 4^th celebrations for years to come.

“Last year during the first weeks of the pandemic, when our county was scrambling for both personal protective equipment and ventilators, the VMC Foundation and Bloom Energy each stepped forward to provide those critical supplies for our community,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez. “I am so excited that they are now partnering together on the Stars and Strides run/walk to help the Foundation continue to provide resources to care for the most vulnerable in our community.”

Additional 2021 Stars and Strides sponsors include the Silicon Valley Bank, HP, Inc., Synaptics, Bank of America, the Bay Area News Group – The Mercury News, Alaska Airlines, Sports Basement, San Jose Water Company, NBC Bay Area, and Rambus. To become a sponsor or to make a donation, please visit starsandstridesrun.com.

This year’s Stars and Strides will kick-off and end at the Children’s Discovery Museum Meadow in downtown San Jose at 8:00 a.m. The event will also include a Kids Fun Run for young children aged 2-7, a virtual 5K/10K walk/run, and post-race celebration. Participants will receive a commemorative race t-shirt and a swag bag from local Bay Area businesses.

Register by June 18^th for a special early-bird rates at www.starsandstridesrun.com.

To stay up to date, follow @starsandstrides on Twitter.

About Bloom Energy

Bloom Energy’s mission is to make clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world. Bloom Energy’s product, the Bloom Energy Server, delivers highly reliable and resilient, always-on electric power that is clean, cost-effective, and ideal for microgrid applications. Bloom Energy’s customers include many Fortune 100 companies and leaders in manufacturing, data centers, healthcare, retail, higher education, utilities, and other industries. For more information, visit www.bloomenergy.com.

About the Valley Medical Center Foundation

The Valley Medical Center Foundation is an independent, community-driven 501c3 nonprofit organization founded to support Silicon Valley’s most vital public health institution – Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Hospitals & Clinics. In partnership with SCVMC, the VMC Foundation raises philanthropic dollars to improve existing services, pioneer new models of care, and advance the cause of high quality healthcare for all. To learn more, visit www.vmcfoundation.org.

About the City of San José

With more than one million residents, San José comprises the 10^th largest city in the United States, and one of its most diverse cities.  San José’s transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world’s greatest concentration of technology talent and development.

Media Contacts:

Bloom Energy
Jennifer Duffourg
480.341.5464
Jennifer.duffourg@bloomenergy.com

VMC Foundation
Julie Ott
408.282.2687
Julie.Ott@hhs.sccgov.org

City of San Jose
Rachel Davis
408.712.9149
rachel.davis@sanjoseca.gov