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| Volume 1, Issue 1 |
The Summa Children’s Foundation Newsletter |
april, 2006 |
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| We had a feeling our inaugural gala event honoring Laura Lizer Word would be a success and, |
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Young Camp Harmony spokesperson, Melissa Garcia, holds Daisy, a pure-bred Chocolate Lab that went to the highest bidder. BELOW: Debbie Allen Dance Academy. |
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folks, we were right. The beautiful Beverly Hills Hotel’s Crystal Ballroom was the perfect venue for delivering a night that more than exceeded our fund-raising expectations. We also managed to show everyone a really good time. Debbie Allen’s dancers entertained guests (actually, stunned them with their unbelievable talent is a better way of putting it) |
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“Dinner for Six at the Famed French Laundry Restaurant,” among others.
Before the night’s honoree was presented with her award, we heard from some engaging young speakers whose moving stories brought forth tears of a different kind. All seemingly wise beyondtheir years, these children shared the tough life-situations they had been able |
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to greatly improve—and sometimes overcome— with the help of the night’s beneficiaries: Camp Harmony, TheRichstone Family Center,Stuart House |
| and emcees, Paul Reiser and Fred Willard coaxed tear-wiping belly-laughs out of the audience. But laughter wasn’t the only thing they managed to coax out of people: bids were flying for auction items such as “A Night with the Lakers,” a “Three-Night Stay at a Private Sonoma Estate,” and |
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and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. “These children helped open the eyes of our guests,” said KC West, president of the Summa Children’s Foundation. “They were able to see first-hand the types of kids they could be helping. It’s |
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one thing to tell people that there are kids out there that need help; but to show them—that really gets the message across.”
It certainly did. All-in-all, the auction, along with many other generous contributions, brought the amount raised to $440,000 to help the disadvantaged youth of Los Angeles and Southern California.
After a funny, off-the-cuff testimonial by Shirley MacLaine and a touching award presentation given by the esteemed Sidney Poitier, Laura Lizer Word accepted the Summa Kids Award to a standing ovation. Obviously the award was well-deserved. Laura began her life-long contribution to children’s causes at the age of eleven, when she developed a friendship with a cancer patient who never made it home from the hospital. This experience at such a young age had a profound effect on Laura’s life, forever altering her priorities. The Laura we know today has devoted heart, soul and countless hours to providing the leadership, financial resources and vision to a wide range of children’s charities. She is an inspiration to us all and we were very proud to honor her at our first annual event.
The hard work, dedication and the generous contributions of so many were combined to bring about this very special evening, and we are especially grateful to the people whose support and presence made it an overwhelming success. Because of you, the Summa Children’s Foundation has been able to assist many deserving children who desperately need our help. Thank you. |
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| The Summa Children’s Foundation was established in 2005 by The Summa Group, a wealth management team at Oppenheimer & Co. Our foundation is dedicated to the identification, screening and funding of non-profit organizations committed to disadvantaged youth in Los Angeles and Southern California. The organizations we support have demonstrated an ability to make a positive and sometimes life-changing impact on the children they serve. Our contributions go directly to supporting the existing educational, health and social programs that assist these children in overcoming obstacles and finding success in their future. |
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PHOTOS from top, left to right:
1) Jeff Werdesheim, Brian Werdesheim, Mike Winn, Paul Reiser, Laura Lizer Word, Jim Miles, David James, Ben Posen 2) Shirley MacLaine 3) Paula and Paul Reiser 4) Laura Lizer Word, Rob Word and Son, Robby 5) Debbie Allen and friends 6) Fred and Mary Willard 7) Joanna and Sidney Poitier and Laura Lizer Word. |
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When sixth-grader Arlill Rodriguez stepped on stage at our event on November 1st, he had no idea that someone from a prestigious private school was there to hear him speak. He was just focusing on getting through his speech with a bad case of the nerves. “Oh, it was ‘nervous-city’ to |
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so articulate and warm and funny. It was incredibly touching,” she remembers.
According to Eric Eisner, director of REEP (the Richstone Edu cation Enterprise Program) and the person responsible for introducing Arlill to Gregory, he doesn’t come like this veryoften. “While you’re |
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role model for kids here his age that take their own opulence for granted.”
Arlill is excited about starting the seventh grade at HW this fall where he plans on learning languages like French and Latin. When asked if he was “nervous- city” about attending a new school, he replied, “No, it’s a beautiful school and really cool. Okay, I’m a little nervous because it’s so humongous! I’m gonna get lost, is all I have to say!” |
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talking to him, you have to remind yourself that you’re speaking to someone who’s twelve,” he said. “The conversations I’ve had with this boy have been |
stand up in front of allthose people,” he said. “I couldn’t believe I had to do such a thing! But I did it… and it was fun.”
Nervous or not, Arlill’s speech so affected Elizabeth Gregory, director of admissions at the Harvard-Westlake school, that she decided to offer him admission on the spot. “I was very impressed with the poise he had to be able to get up in front of all those people and to be |
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as candid and articulate as with any adult I know. I was completely flabbergasted when I first met him.”
After the event, Elizabeth had a chance to interview Arlill herself. “He came to the school here and he’s just a great little guy,” she said. “He is very eager to learn and is grateful to have the opportunity to attend a school like Harvard Westlake. I think he will be a good |
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Rabbi Steven Jacobs
Bruce Jenner
Kris Jenner
Jim Miles
Laura Wasser
Brian K. Werdesheim
KC West
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| DEAR SUMA GROU P: WE WERE IMPRESSED AND INSPIRED |
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It was a pleasure to finally meet you at the Summa Children’s Foundation event honoring Laura Lizer Word. First, let me begin by telling you how impressed my husband and I were that you pulled together such an amazing event in so little time (what was it, six months?) It was beautifully done and I was delighted to have been able to attend.
Not only did I have a great time, but at the end of the night I walked away very touched and inspired. As a mother, I am of course concerned with the wellbeing of children; but before your event the concern I had was mostly for my own children. Other kids’ problems remained on the fringes of my every-day thinking, where it was most comfortable for them to be.
However, after hearing those incredible children speak at |
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the event, their lives suddenly became more “real” for me. As I was listening to them, I realized that it was irresponsible for me to assume that the welfare of other people’s children did not deserve my attention.
Since then, I have signed on with the “Ready to Read” program at our local library which teaches children who read below grade level to improve their reading skills. It’s a small step, but I think an important one. I am very much looking forward to making a difference in a child’s life (and education!). All my thanks to your organization for opening my eyes.
Warmly,
KRISTIN BAILEY MURPHY
Toluca Lake, California |
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The best way to get involved is to become a sponsor. www.summakids.org
The Summa Children’s Foundation
10880 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 2300
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Phone: 310-446-7129
Fax: 310-657-4547
Email: info@summakids.org |
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The Summa Children’s Foundation is proud to be sponsored by Oppenheimer Co, Inc., a leading national investment boutique that provides financial services and advice to high net worth investors, individuals, businesses and institutions. www.opco.com
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