Community: Civitan Club hosts a Black & White Affair
A lovely lunch, silent auction, fashion show and lots of socializing kept members of the Foothill Civitan Club, their friends and families entertained during the 30th annual spring event titled “A Black & White Affair” on May 12 at the Castaway Restaurant.
Co-president Mary Bernier and Co-president and event Chairwoman Elizabeth Kenney, assisted by Co-chairwoman Janet Jordan, kept things moving along with Mistress of Ceremonies Ann Marie Coppen and Master of Ceremonies and comedian Jack McGee.
Proceeds raised from past luncheons have underwritten the cost of three Canine Companions for Independence assistance dogs at a cost of $10,000 per dog. Proceeds also go to the Girls Ponytail Softball Jamboree, Adopt-a-Troop, Civitan International Research Center, the Burbank Coordinating Council’s Holiday Basket program, Burbank High School Senior Scholarships and BCR “A Place to Grow.”
Guests of member Deanna Pettersen included her granddaughter Staci Phillips and 5-year-old great-granddaughter Layla Phillips, Terry Pettersen, Anita Verdugo, Lynn McWorthy, Susie Tarter, Ingrid Stine and Ramona Higgins. Joining member Sandy Dennis at her table were Carolyn Mace, Renee Hoenig, Marilyn Schull and Barbara Bartman.
Winning the stay at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel & Spa was June bride Angela Buckley, who will marry Jason Kilgore, son of member Joni Kilgore. Barbara Moreno, who was a guest of member Jenice McGlynn, will be donning her new 18k gold earrings and bracelet when she spends her gift certificate at Gary Bric’s Ramp.
Modeling fashions from White House/Black Market in Sherman Oaks and Sy Devore in Studio City were members and family Janet Jordan, Elizabeth Kenney, Judy Torres, Kathie Kenney, Stacey Hubbard, Shannon Hubbard, Maureen Steinberg, Linda Colley, Clint Kenney, Joe Custer and Jack McGee.
A special treat was seeing fellow Burbank High School grads Janet Jordan, Robin Eisenberg Grosmark and Judy Torres singing together again like they did during many school assemblies.
Pancakes are a hot commodity
The delicious scent of sizzling sausage pierced the air of the YMCA parking lot. Jeff Prutz, a member of the Burbank YMCA Service Club, was rolling the links across the grill for the annual Pancake Breakfast to raise funds for youth programs.
His reason for giving back to the community put a lump in the throat.
A member of the Marine Corps Reserves, Prutz is waiting to be deployed to Afghanistan, he said.
“In case I don’t come back, I want people to have a good image of me,” he said.
He also gives time to Boy Scout Troop 209 in Burbank and Toys for Tots in Kern County.
Next to him Art Wetton was flipping the golden disks. Arnie Lee was taking note of his technique.
Co-chairmen and husband and wife Kamyar and Melanie Kalantari were overseeing the operation.
The couple joined the group after shopping for a Christmas tree two years ago and finding out the funds raised by the pancake breakfast and tree lot go to youth programs, Kamyar Kalantari said.
Inside the all-purpose room, families were poking at links and pancakes doused with strawberries or maple syrup.
Mikhail Lazarev stopped to fuel up his boys, Alec and Nicolai, for swim practice at the YMCA, their father said.
Bernie and Dorothy Katz came from Newhall for the breakfast. Dorothy was sitting with friends from the YMCA Arthritis Exercise class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, she said. They include Julie Kenyon, Brenda Ballesteros and Yvette Hampton and their instructor Shari Brandon.
Roger Koll, president of YMCA board of directors, was pouring juice, alongside YMCA Service Club member Tony Ballesteros.
“It’s my favorite event,” Koll said. “It pulls everyone in from the community. We see small kids to seniors and everything in between — people from the entertainment industry and small businesses. And it is a fundraiser that helps kids from families who can’t afford the programs.”
Board of Realtors awards scholarships
The Burbank Board of Realtors presented six scholarships during the Caravan Breakfast on May 10 at the Board of Realtors Hall.
Recipients were: Valery Vasquez, who ranks No. 3 in her class of 662 at Burbank High School and has chalked up 440 hours of community service. She will continue her education at Stanford University with plans to become a pediatrician; Lorena Navarro-Guillen, who has spent the last two years earning her high school diploma at the Burbank Adult School and has achieved at 3.14 GPA. She is pursuing a career in nursing; and Mariam Kyarunts, who is in the top four in her class of 662 at Burbank High. She is going to Stanford to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology in order to enter medical school.
Recipients also included Marin Sklan, who is a student at Burroughs High School but has also studied at Oxford University. She will attend Reed College in Portland combining a double major of biomedical science and business; Kevin Mark, who wants to pursue a career in the nation’s space program. He has a 4.43 GPA and scored 2390 out of 2400 on the SAT test. He plans to attend UCLA; and Enrique Meneses, who finished No. 1 in his class at Burbank High School with a GPA of 4.55. He will attend Harvard University and would like to be a doctor, engineer or research scientist.
JOYCE RUDOLPH can be contacted at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.