On the Town: Burbank Coordinating Council gears up for holidays with fundraiser
To kick off this month, the one in which the spirit of gratitude and thankfulness is, perhaps, stronger than it is at any other time of the year, the Burbank Coordinating Council presented its second annual Spirit of Giving luncheon at the First Presbyterian Church of Burbank this past week.
Janet Diel, who has been a member of the organization for nearly three decades and currently serves as the group’s president and co-chair of their Holiday Basket program, welcomed more than 200 supporters to this year’s fundraiser luncheon.
The event honored City Councilman Bob Frutos and the Burbank Police Department, which was represented by Police Chief Scott LaChasse.
Emceed by former Mayor Marsha Ramos, last week’s luncheon was sponsored by Capes4Cures, whose mission is to empower children suffering from a serious illness with the gift of a cape for courage, support and strength.
Other sponsors were the Cartoon Network, Burbank Water and Power, the Burbank Federal Credit Union, Handy Market, Burbank Town Center, Valley Funeral Home and Warner Bros.
Others who made the event possible included Mike Albanese, Tim Behunin, Sandra, Rocky and Lilly Thompson, Denis Cremins, Eric Deroian, Joan Graves, Cynthia Leva, Roberta Reynolds and Mene Sweet.
Since the early 1930s, the Burbank Coordinating Council has been helping local low-income families in need and, since 1946, has been making the holidays brighter for those with children, who, due to financial difficulties, may otherwise have no holiday meal or gifts.
Always embraced by a broad cross-section of the community, the event was attended by numerous notables including state Sen. Anthony Portantino, Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, Vice Mayor Emily Gable-Luddy, Councilwoman Sharon Springer, City Manager Ron Davis, Assistant City Manager Justin Hess, City Atty. Amy Albano, former Mayor Mary Lou Howard and members of the event’s committee — Brenda Burroughs, Hank and Jason Diel, Deanna Holloway, Socorro Oseguera, Doris Palmer, Barbara Salamon and Sandra Thompson.
As it does each year, the Coordinating Council is now putting out a call for donations and volunteers to help assemble the gift baskets, which, according to Diel, will help more than 500 families.
If you are interested in getting involved, the organization is looking for donations of gift certificates, food items, unwrapped toys and personally requested items that are provided to those who “adopt” a specific family.
The council is also in need of volunteers to help deliver baskets from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 16
The group also has citywide Holiday Basket food drives scheduled for Nov. 18 and Dec. 9.
For more information on how to get involved, call Diel at (818) 216-9377 or visit burbankcoordinatingcouncil.org.
DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
