Advertisement

Nonprofit recognizes Deborah Weirick for ‘outstanding’ service to schools, community

Share

For her lifelong community service and support of La Cañada schools and students, Deborah Weirick has been selected to receive the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation’s prestigious Spirit of Outstanding Service Award, foundation officials recently announced.

Bestowed at the nonprofit organization’s annual spring gala in March, the award recognizes individuals who demonstrate a commitment to educational excellence and have consistently served schools and the community at large through a variety of volunteer positions. LCFEF Executive Director Marilyn Yang said in an interview Tuesday Weirick was an obvious choice.

“This year was really a no-brainer,” Yang said of the mother of two, who served four years as the foundation’s executive director before her and also volunteered as a board member and board president. “She’s so efficient, and she’s a people person — she has talents in every direction.”

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Weirick moved to La Cañada with husband Brent 14 years ago and soon became involved with LCFEF and local schools, serving in the La Cañada Elementary School car line and PTA and volunteering as a room representative and working the school’s Halloween Haunt fundraiser.

Now that son Jack and daughter Emily attend La Cañada High School, Weirick has shifted her focus to groups like the LCHS Choral Parents Assn. board and serves on school district ad hoc committees, including the Challenge Success and Facilities Master Plan committees. She is co-vice president of the National Charity League, Glendale, and actively volunteers with Pasadena’s Union Station Homeless Services and Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services.

Her professional experience in nonprofit communications and development has allowed her to further contribute to organizations like YMCA of the Foothills and the Los Angeles-based Children Affected by AIDS Foundation. Weirick currently works as a special project manager for USC Verdugo Hills Hospitals’ Community Relations department.

Still, despite her many ongoing commitments, Weirick said Tuesday she was surprised to get a call from LCFEF President Josh Epstein informing her she’d been selected to receive the Spirit of Outstanding Service Award.

“I’ve made those calls before. It felt very surreal to be on the receiving end of it,” she said. “Obviously this is an organization that’s very close to my heart, so I’m humbled but excited and happy to accept the honor.

Epstein showed his appreciation for Weirick’s many contributions in a statement issued this week.

“We are all so lucky to have a talented and generous person such as Deborah doing so much, for so long, for all of our students,” Epstein said.

--

The 26th Annual LCFEF Spring Gala, themed “Moonlight in Morocco,” will be held March 4 at the Langham Huntington Pasadena to raise funds for the La Cañada Unified School District. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit lcfef.org.

--

Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine

Advertisement