Police captain leads the Army of Pink
Glendale Police Capt. Carl Povilaitis received the most online votes, garnering him the Man in Pink title in Glendale Adventist’s Army of Pink campaign, a biennial event created to call attention to breast cancer awareness and the importance of early detection.
He participated in the campaign, he said, because he has friends who have had breast cancer and other friends who had long battles with lung cancer and did not survive.
“You can’t go through life without running into those issues, and you see how it impacts people and families,” he said. “But there are those who survive, so the important message to get out is to get it detected early so you can survive.”
More than 80,000 votes were tallied on the Glendale Adventist Medical Center website, officials said. As balloting took place, voters also learned about each candidate and a wealth of information about cancer and the benefits of early detection.
The rewards for winning the vote include that either Povilaitis or another member of the Police Department will ride on the Glendale Rose Float, and the Glendale Adventist Cancer Center lobby will be named in his honor for two years when the next Man in Pink online election takes place.
It is very humbling to have received this honor, Povilaitis said, but he would not have achieved it without the help of his campaign manager Denise Miller, director of the Live Well Senior Program at Adventist, and a team of people who did a lot of outreach to inspire voting for him.
“Through events like these, one finds out how wonderful Glendale is because there are a lot of people committed to causes like this who really want to help make Glendale a better place,” Povilaitis said.
Working at the Police Department for 22 years, Povilaitis has become involved in a lot of partnerships with the community to reduce crime and to improve the quality of life in Glendale, he said.
And the Glendale Police Department is multidimensional, Povilaitis said, in that a lot of people there reach out to improve the quality of life of others, whether trying to raise awareness of breast cancer, working with disabled kids or finding a family that needs a bit of extra help.
“That is the Glendale Police Department. That is the Glendale community. That is what makes it a great place to live and work,” he said.
The announcement was made Thursday at the medical center. Hospital officials presiding at the event were Kevin A. Roberts, president and chief executive; and Melina Thorpe, director of cancer services. Dr. Boris Bagdasarian, on staff at Adventist and the first campaign winner in 2010, presented the Army of Pink boxing gloves to Povilaitis.
Auxiliary selling table decor
Members of Los Altos Auxiliary are making floral centerpieces that the public can buy to decorate the Thanksgiving table. All proceeds benefit the boys, ages 6 to 18, who reside at the Hathaway-Sycamores El Nido residential treatment facility in Altadena.
“Our popular Thanksgiving centerpieces are a wonderful way to support the children of Hathaway-Sycamores,” said Kathy MacDonald, who is cochair of the fundraiser, along with Linda Yaussi.
Each centerpiece is handcrafted with the freshest materials from the L.A. Flower Mart. They add a seasonal touch to the holiday table and make a terrific hostess gifts, MacDonald added.
The harvest-styled centerpiece is an arrangement of evergreens, eucalyptus, fresh flowers and fall foliage — accented with fruit and vegetables — in a 16-by-13-inch basket. Centerpieces are $65 each, and orders need to be received by Thursday for delivery on Nov. 19. Purchase can be made at losaltosauxiliary.com using PayPal or by printing the order form and mailing it with the payment. For more information, call Yaussi at (818) 522-8283 or email joesmom@mac.com.
Los Altos Auxiliary has been supporting children in need for 50 years and has been affiliated with Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services since 1993. The Los Altos Auxiliary believes that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive in a healthy and supportive environment, and by improving a child’s mental, physical and social health, the child can become a valued member of the community.
For membership information, call President Julie McCarty at (818) 298-3531.
JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.