ON THE TOWN:Women honored for giving from their heart

Glendale buzzed with the rhythm of busy women and musical kids last week. Two women’s luncheons competed for attention on Friday. Both were more than worthy. YWCA officials presented their 10th annual Women of Heart & Excellence Awards while the Women’s Council of Realtors offered “Let Me Take You on a Sea Cruise” luncheon and fashion show.

Breast cancer specialist Dr. Susan Love was the keynote speaker at the YWCA’s Legacy Luncheon at The Brandview Collection. She spoke with passion to her audience of 350, “All we need is the will to stop breast cancer!” Love, who has worked in the field of breast cancer for 30 years, signed copies of her “Love’s Breast Book” after the lunch. She was also more than willing to answer medical questions.

Women of Heart and Excellence awardees, honored for their combined close to 200 years of volunteerism in Burbank and Glendale, were Laurie Bleick, Rosa Frommer, Deborah Hinckley, Susan Hunt, Armineh Khanbabian and Donna Mary Bullock Ziel.

Honored with the Jane O’Connor Community Service Volunteer Scholarship was Jennifer Kang, 17, a student at Crescenta Valley High School. Kyung Hee Kang was by her daughter’s side as very proud mom.

Glendale residents attending were Honorary Chair and former state assemblywoman Carol Liu, YWCA Board of Directors President Brooke Moore, Salvation Army Capt. James Sloan, who gave the invocation, YWCA Domestic Violence Programs Director Kathie Mathis, Beth McDevitt, Connie Toomey, Ilena Blicker, Kim Milstien and Glendale Community College President Audre Levy.

This year’s Legacy Luncheon is expected to raise more than $30,000 for YWCA programs, including its Domestic Violence Project and ENCOREplus, a breast and cervical cancer-screening program.

The principal fundraiser was a shopping spree with gift certificates valued at more than $3,500 from merchants throughout Glendale. Proceeds from the fundraiser, the luncheon and fashion show will help pay for the travel expenses of networking meetings for Women’s Council of Realtors members.

Receiving an Honorable Mention was 17-year-old Hoover High School student Alin Melik-Adamyan. Her mother, Narine Melik-Adamyan, was right by her side.

Other Glendale music lovers attending included Foundation Treasurer Ann Pearson, Foundation Vice President Sharon Townsend-Roth, Foundation Administrative Assistant Erin Rushforth, Sue Scofield and Cecily Young.

This is the 24th year of the piano competition. The foundation is named in honor of the husband of now deceased longtime Glendale music teacher Mimi McGaughey, who helped establish the foundation.

Grand-prize winner, Hyun Woo Shin, 19, played the concluding selections, Fugue in E flat minor by J.S. Bach and Toccata, Op. 11 by Sergei Prokofiev. He received $1,500 from the foundation. Born in Korea, Shin immigrated to the United States in 2003. He has been playing piano since he was 5 years old and is a senior at El Camino Real High School in the San Fernando Valley. Shin plans to attend the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

What is the secret to his success?

“My parents didn’t force me to play,” he said.