California Casualty has delivered $1,000 Thomas R. Brown Athletic Grants to educators at 13 public middle and high schools across seven states to help support their school sports program(s). Since its inception in 2010, the Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant Program has helped fund burdened athletic programs in 763 public schools across the nation.
Named in honor of Tom Brown, an ardent sports enthusiast and California Casualty Chairman Emeritus, the Thomas R. Brown Athletic Grant reflects his conviction that the values cultivated on the field—such as teamwork, trust, communication, and confidence—extend far beyond sports, enriching academic and personal development. Athletic programs play a pivotal role in shaping students’ character, fostering well-rounded individuals who excel both in the classroom and in life.
“The athletic departments mission is to provide our students who come from an underserved community the opportunity to develop sport skills by maximizing participation and focusing on fundamental skills. El Camino Jr. High School sports focus on developing positive values, learning sportsmanship, teamwork, communication and cooperation. This grant will go towards purchasing equipment such as volleyballs, basketball, ball racks and nets…. to enhance the lives of our student athletes,” said CTA Member and applicant Ashley Sandoval.
California Casualty recognizes the vital role of youth sports in promoting children’s physical and mental well-being. We are delighted to announce that the 2023/2024 Athletic Grants will support the following initiatives:
Angevine Middle School, Lafayette, CO – Basketball, Flag Football, Soccer and Track
Burley High School, Burley, ID – Wrestling
Challenger Middle School, Tucson, AZ – Boys and Girls Soccer
CY Middle School, Casper, WY – Boys Soccer
Del Campo High School, Fair Oaks, CA – Girls Flag Football
Del Mar High School, San Jose, CA – Football
El Camino Jr High, Santa Maria, CA – Basketball and Volleyball
Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro, OR – Cheerleading
Montebello High School, Montebello, CA – Girls Golf
Scappoose High School, Scappoose, OR – Bowling
Shadow Hills High School, Indio, CA – Boys and Girls Soccer
Syringa Middle School, Caldwell, ID – Boys Basketball
Turner High School, Kansas City, KS – Boys and Girls Golf
Congratulations to all of our 2023/2024 grant recipients!
Angevine Middle School, Lafayette, CO
Scappoose High School, Scappoose, OR
Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro, OR – Cheerleading
During a surprise presentation held on December 13th, Kansas State Firefighters Association member, Angus Duff, was awarded California Casualty’s 2022 Work Hard/Play Hard $10,000 Camping Giveaway. Duff, a veteran firefighter and lead mechanic for Johnson County Consolidated Fire District No. 2, was chosen out of over 17,000 applicants nationwide for the contest that ran from January – November in 2022.
SAN MATEO, CA. December 16, 2022- Angus Duff, Kansas State Firefighters Association (KSFFA) member and Apparatus Operator for Johnson County Consolidated Fire District No. 2 (CFD2) has won California Casualty’s 2022 Work Hard/Play Hard $10,000 Camping Giveaway. Duff was one of over 17,000 firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMTs to enter the national contest.
California Casualty Field Marketer, Gabby Sole, presented the check to Duff in a surprise gathering on December 13th with his shift mates at CFD2 in Prairie Village, KS.
Duff has been a firefighter for 32 years and is also the Fleet Maintenance Lead for CFD2. “The man who just won the $10,000, he’s our lead mechanic.” Said, Acting Battalion Chief Brian Montgomery, “[aside from firefighting] They pay him overtime to fix firetrucks. He’s got 3 or 4 guys working for him now… even paying him at his salary/overtime rate to work on these firetrucks it’s still less than shop rates or a mechanic that we could take it to. He saves the district a ton of money. So, $10,000; he saves us that and probably more monthly.” Over the years Angus and his team have saved CSD2 millions on apparatus repairs. Montgomery goes on to state that “No one deserves this more.”
A native of the Kansas City area, Duff says that he got into firefighting to help the people in his community. When asked what his plans are to spend his newly acquired funds he said that he will likely spend some on Christmas presents for his wife and 5 children; and that he “has a funny feeling he knows what dinner is” for his shift tonight.
This award presentation was made possible thanks to the partnership between California Casualty and KSFFA. For nearly 30 years, we’ve worked together to provide personalized auto and home insurance to firefighters throughout the state of Kansas.
The Work Hard/Play Hard community impact program was established to thank first responders for all that they do for our communities. The 2022 $10,000 Camping Giveaway was established to give first responders a “much-deserved break” with the gear needed for a relaxing experience.
Previous Work Hard/Play Hard sweepstakes from California Casualty have awarded public safety personnel with:
Liberty Safes
5.11 Gear
DeWalt Tools
Motorcycles
Cash
Past winners include a California SWAT Unit member, an Oregon Police officer; Colorado Sheriff’s captain; firefighters from California, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, and Pennsylvania; and a California Police Officer and Highway Patrolman.
Founded in 1914 and headquartered in San Mateo, California with Service Centers in Arizona, and Colorado California Casualty provides auto and home insurance to educators, firefighters, law enforcement, and nurses across the country. Learn more about California Casualty at http://www.calcas.com or call 1.800.800.9410.
