Aenlle-Rocha, Tama Trading to be honored with awards
Valerie Aenlle-Rocha, a longtime supporter of the local public school system, in March will be presented the Spirit of Outstanding Service Award at the 25th annual La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation Gala, it was announced this week.
The foundation will also present its Business Partners in Excellence Award to locally owned Tama Trading Co., operated by the family of William and Sandra Sauro.
Aenlle-Rocha is a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney who has volunteered extensively in the community. She is a past president of the Community Scholarship Foundation, the La Cañada High School Music Parents Assn. and the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation. She is a trustee for the foundation’s endowment fund and is on the board of the La Cañada High Choral Parents Assn. and the LCHS Boosters. She has served on the 7/8 PTA Site Council, as a parent GATE coordinator and as an elementary school art docent. She also mentors high school students through their college application process and advocates for La Cañada students to win internship programs with the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
She and her husband Fernando have called La Cañada home since 1996. They are the parents of three: Celine, Cameron and Caitlin.
“We are beyond lucky to have someone like Valerie doing so much for so many years on behalf of our students,” stated Stephanie Fossan, president of the local educational foundation. “She is truly an inspiration to our community.”
The Partner in Excellence Award, which will go to Tama Trading, an Italian food import company, was designed to recognize businesses and/or their employees whose commitment to excellence in the education of La Cañada Unified students has been demonstrated through a history of generous financial support to the district’s schools.
Tama Trading, in operation for 95 years, is owned by the La Cañada-based Sauro family. William and Sandra Sauro came to La Cañada in 1975 and raised their three children in the community. All La Cañada High graduates, Lisa Dick, Leslie Kevorkian and Bill Sauro chose to remain in La Cañada and are also sending their children to La Cañada schools.
Tama has been a longtime sponsor of the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation’s Gala and a 7/8 Home Tour sponsor.
“We are very honored to be recognized in this way,” said Kevorkian. “We take a lot of pride in this community and are pleased to be able to contribute to the LCFEF and the very important work that they do.”
Valerie Aenlle-Rocha and Tama Trading will be honored at the Langham Huntington in Pasadena on March 5 at the foundation’s annual gala. Invitations will be mailed in mid-January. Community members or businesses interested in supporting the event as underwriters or auction item donors can contact the foundation at gala@lcfef.org for more information.
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Carol Cormaci, carol.cormaci@latimes.com
Twitter: @CarolCormaci
