GOOD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Supporting Students

› On March 25, the La Salle Alumni Association hosted its signature event, Taste of La Salle, which raised over $50,000 for the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Nearly 500 guests sampled delicious dining o erings and drinks from 29 restaurants and beverage vendors, including Altadena Town & Country Club, Bevel Co ee, Cafe X2O, Domenico’s Pasadena, El Cholo Pasadena, El Portal Restaurant, Golden Road Brewing Company, and Granville.

“It was wonderful to finally be able to bring this community event back to campus after COVID,” says Kristen Schultz, director of alumni relations for La Salle College Preparatory.

Currently, the Alumni Association awards one scholarship to an incoming freshman annually, and up to two scholarships to graduating Lancers to use toward their college education. The current recipient of the La Salle Alumni Association Lasallian Heritage Scholarship is Alaynna Muro ’27; current recipients of the La Salle Alumni Association College Scholarship are Zacky Culver ’23 and Natalie Martin ’23. lasallehs.org

—SARA SMOLA

Helping Families Heal

› Hillsides raised nearly $500,000 at its annual fundraising gala on February 25. This year’s event, An Evening at Monarch Grove, was held at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites and attended by hundreds of guests who joined together to support Hillsides’ mission to help children, youth, and families heal.

The program kicked o with welcomes from Gala Chair Sara Jennings and Hillsides Board Chair John Gong, followed by special guest speaker, Myles Williams, who once received services from Hillsides. Retired NBC4 weathercaster Fritz Coleman resumed his role as auctioneer for the live and paddle auctions.

“I am amazed at the generosity of our donors and friends,” says Stacey Roth, president and CEO of Hillsides. “They showed up again this year with their hearts full for the work we do, and it showed. Their financial contributions [will] allow us to provide more children, youth, and families with high-quality care.” hillsides.org —S.S.

Building Hope And Breaking Barriers

› March 10–11, San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity (SGV Habitat) kicked off its annual Women Build event in honor of Women’s History Month. Volunteers had opportunities to participate in home-building activities, learn new skills, and help build stronger, safer communities. “Women Build is an SGV Habitat tradition that honors the efforts being done to break down the barriers to homeownership that many women have faced,” says Bryan Wong, CEO of SGV Habitat.

Since 1991, Women Build has brought women and supporters together to raise funds, recruit their friends, and build homes side by side with those in need of affordable housing. The event has helped house many families throughout SGV (including Glendale, Pasadena, Monterey Park, Baldwin Park, and Monrovia) through volunteering, donations, and advocacy. sgvhabitat.org —S.S.

Arts Appreciation

› About 3,900 fourth-grade students from over 30 Pasadena-area schools experienced the annual Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts Youth Concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 1. Presented with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the free concert was designed to weave musical concepts, humor, dance, and educational information into an engaging program for students. Since its inception in 1953, more than 250,000 fourth-graders have participated.

“We were thrilled to once again bring thousands of local youth to this treasured music venue,” says Youth Concert Chair Helen Gipson. “Seeing nearly 100 school buses lined up outside Walt Disney Concert Hall is a welcome sight after a two-year hiatus.”

Pasadena Showcase House’s musical programs also include the Music Mobile for third-graders and the Instrumental Competition for high school students. Additionally, the organization awards monetary gifts and grants to a diverse list of local and regional nonprofits and has contributed over $24 million to music programs in Southern California. pasadenashowcase.org —S.S.