Calabasas Businessman Donates $30K to UCLA Blood & Platelet Center

From a press release:

Two local businessmen recently presented a check totaling more than $30,000 in proceeds from the 2014 Volkswagen City of Angels Fun Ride to the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center.

“This is my favorite day of the year when I get to give the money we raised to UCLA,” said Calabasas resident Peter Heumann, who has organized the ride as a labor of love for 17 years. “Blood donation is the least celebrated aspect of medicine but the most important. No medical miracles can happen without blood.”

In 1997, Heumann launched the charity bike ride, which is presented by Volkswagen of America. In the past four years, the ride has raised more than $130,000, with Howie Neftin, who owns Neftin Volkswagen of Thousand Oaks, donating $10,000 each year on behalf of the Southern California Volkswagen dealers association. Another $710 was donated by Maria Marsh, owner of Pace Sportswear in Garden Grove, from the sale of her firm’s cycling jerseys for the ride.

“Participating in this wonderful community ride and donating the funds to the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center has been a thrill for me,” said Neftin. “It’s a great feeling to make a difference to such a worthy cause.”

Supporting UCLA’s mobile blood-donation program, the money made possible the purchase of a new box truck this year. By transporting beds and equipment, the truck allows the center to staff community blood drives throughout Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.

“This event really contributes to community health and well-being,” said Dr. Alyssa Ziman, medical director of the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center. “The box truck allows us to collect some 22,000 units of blood a year, supplying half of the blood transfusions to UCLA hospital patients. We couldn’t do it without Peter, Volkswagen and the riders that support us each year.”

PHOTO Peter Heumann (second row, in blue shirt) presented a $30K check to Dr. Alyssa Ziman (first row, far left) of the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center from proceeds raised by the 2014 Volkswagen City of Angels Fun Ride he organizes each year to benefit the center. Volkswagen’s support is helmed by Howie Neftin (second row, far right), who owns Neftin Volkswagen of Thousand Oaks. Maria Marsh, (first row, far right) donated $710 from the sale of her firm’s Pace Sportswear jerseys for the ride.