Karen DiCarlo Of Santa Claus, Inc. Wins Spirit Of The Entrepreneur Award by Carl Dameron - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events
directory

Karen DiCarlo Of Santa Claus, Inc. Wins Spirit Of The Entrepreneur Award

By Carl Dameron, Community Writer
November 16, 2015 at 10:34am. Views: 474

The Spirit of the Entrepreneur‘s Social Entrepreneur is Karen DiCarlo, executive director of Santa Claus, Inc. DiCarlo was presented with her award at the 13th annual awards presentation in front of an audience of 740 business and community leaders. “I am still so excited, I’m on cloud 9,” said DiCarlo. "The competition was pretty tough in our category. I was completely overwhelmed and humbled to win." DiCarlo credits Santa Claus’s win to the fact that helping children touches people’s hearts and the longevity of the organization. “I also credit the huge growth we have created over the last several years.” The annual black-tie gala event recognizes the leadership, innovation and business acumen of Inland Empire entrepreneurs. The event was held at the Riverside Convention Center to celebrate and honor Inland Empire entrepreneurs. “It was another great event,” said Dr. Mike Stull, founding organizer of the event and director of Cal State San Bernardino’s Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship. “The goal is to recognize the best, have fun and be inspired by the region's top entrepreneurial success stories. I am still in awe of how many great entrepreneurs we have in this region” The evening’s festivities included networking, entertainment from Wonderworld Cirque and a troupe of mimes, at what is now being called "The Oscars of Local Business". DiCarlo is very happy with Santa Claus, Inc’s growth of service to children. “We served 18,000 children in 2012, and so far this year 72,000 children have been served by our year round projects.” Santa Claus, Inc’s growth is still happening. DiCarlo says they are headed towards serving 100,000 children this year. “We will serve 15,000 children or about 6,000 families this year during the Christmas season”, said DiCarlo. Year round children services provided by Santa Claus, Inc. include backpacks loaded with school supplies; Distribution of 27,000 pairs of Sketchers shoes to children in need; providing clothes, hats, shoes, coats and toys to needy children and the Birthday Bag program for children whose parents can’t afford to give them a birthday present. We are also happy to be partnered with the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital in a project called All My Own. This mission gives children in foster care or who are all alone in the hospital who have nothing to call their own – clothes, coats, hats, toys blankets, a teddy bear, etc. “We are also working on a new service project with local law enforcement to get homeless families with children, single women and veterans off the streets and into hotel rooms. “The goal is for the family to stay in the hotel for a night or two while law enforcement connects them with social organizations that help them to get into more permanent housing and begin to put their lives back together”, said DiCarlo. Santa Claus, Inc’s growth is credited by DiCarlo to a hard working group of volunteers. The non-profit volunteers include a committed board of directors. They are: Board Chairman - Larry O'Nan, Kathleen Albrektson, Attorney at Law, Kendra Dockham, C.P.A., Jana Schweppe-Herrera, Executive Director, Villas at San Bernardino, Margie Miller - Owner and Editor, City News Group, Tony Lourenco, Psychiatric Social Worker, Don DiCarlo, Business Executive “Santa Claus, Inc.’s extraordinary volunteers really make the magic happen! With an army of 2,000 volunteers nationwide and a core group of over 50 working every week at the workshop, Santa Claus, Inc. pulls off the impossible! Without our invaluable volunteers Santa Claus, Inc. would not exist,” said DiCarlo.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 286

Athlete of the Week Christopher Michael Lemos, Redlands High School Junior and Varsity Quarterback, proudly represents the Terriers with his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 385

Redlands Pottery Project joins A.K. Smiley Public Library for a November 14 workshop designed for young artists ages 13 to 18. A lump of clay may not look like much at first. In the hands of a young artist, however, it can become a bowl, a decorative sculpture or an entirely unexpected creation.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.redlands.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 482

The University of Redlands Department of Theatre and Dance will present Día de los Muertos and Other Folk Tales November 5 through 8, 2026. Stories told by grandparents often become treasured parts of a family's history. Some are humorous, others mysterious, and many carry lessons that remain meaningful long after the storyteller is gone.

Photo Courtesy of: UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 358

A remote wildfire-monitoring camera overlooks a Southern California landscape. Redlands has partnered with UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia program to improve monitoring of areas near northern Redlands and the Santa Ana River wash.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.akspl.org/events/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 453

Annual ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine will bring American history to life on November 21. On a November morning in Redlands, the sounds of fifes, drums and historic artillery will offer residents an opportunity to experience a chapter of American history that continues to influence the nation more than 160 years after the Civil War.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:18pm. Views: 305

The first years of a child's life are filled with milestones that families often remember forever. A baby's first smile, the first attempt to crawl and the first spoken words are moments of celebration. They can also bring questions, uncertainty and new responsibilities for parents learning how to care for a growing child.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 370

CSUSB’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has earned recognition for it for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse and supportive physics department, earning the Bronze Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science Physics & Astronomy SEA Change program.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 859

Operation Green Light returns November 4–11, encouraging residents to recognize military service and help veterans connect with available resources. As darkness settles over San Bernardino during the first week of November, green lights will illuminate several county buildings, transforming familiar government facilities into visible reminders of the sacrifices made by America's military veterans.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.authentikusa.com/

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 333

As America's most famous highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, San Bernardino reflects on the road that helped shape its neighborhoods, businesses and identity. Long before interstate highways became the preferred routes for cross-country travel, motorists making their way through San Bernardino followed a road that would become one of the most recognizable highways in American history.

Photo Courtesy of: Corina Borsuk and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 279

Muscoy Elementary students join SBCUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, Board of Education President Mayra Ceballos, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Sandra Rodriguez and Dr. Tasha Doizan, Director MaryRone Goodwin and San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. for the official ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the school’s new outdoor learning center.

Photo Courtesy of: https://riversiderecord.org/; A photo of Moreno Valley City Hall. (Alicia Ramirez/The Riverside Record) Credit: (Photo by Alicia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 628

A city is often judged by what residents experience every day: the condition of its streets, the reliability of public services, the availability of recreational programs and the ease of obtaining information from local government. Behind those everyday experiences are departments and employees whose work rarely attracts national attention.

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 589

Athlete of the Week Zachary Scott Perez, Senior at John W. North High School, is recognized as Athlete of the Week for his dedication and accomplishments as a student athlete.

--> -->