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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista
March
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Race for Success to draw biggest crowd yet to raise money for schools Community members, students and supporters of education will convene on LMU’s campus on Saturday, March 8 for the 7th annual Race for Success, which raises money for local public, charter and privates schools in Westchester, Playa del Rey and Playa Vista. The race includes a 5k at 8 a.m. and a Kid’s 1k Race at 10 a.m. According to race organizer Mathu Matthews, who co-founded the race with Tina Ayala, this year’s race will be the largest yet, with more than 2,000 confirmed participants. Matthews and Ayala, local moms and Westchester school alumni, started the race in 2008 as a way to help support the education community.
Said Matthews, “It is so nice to see three communities of schools and businesses come together to show our children how important their education is to us. We are coming together to show our kids their communities are ready to support them and make up for any cuts that may happen.” All Westchester, Playa del Rey and Playa Vista schools are invited to participate in the race, and since its inception Matthews estimates that the race has raised more than $200,000 for local schools. The money is split evenly between the participating schools and (continued on page 21) At right: Runners compete in last year’s Kid’s 1K at the Race for Success.
Community thanks hero for rescuing Westchester boy Jesus Delgado’s life will never be the same after an act of bravery has made him a hero in the Westchester/Playa community and beyond. Wednesday, February 26 started off as a normal day for Delgado, who works as the daytime lead supervisor at Westchester’s T2 Tacos. When Delgado heard screams coming from the corner of Manchester and Loyola, however, he raced from behind the restaurant’s counter to find out what the commotion was all about. Delgado found a Westchester nanny dazed from being punched in the face, screaming for help because one of the children in her care had been kidnapped. The other boy had run home to tell his father that his brother had been taken. Delgado quickly sprang into action running after the man and caught up with him in front of the tennis courts at Westchester Park. Although the man told Delgado that the issue wasn’t any of his business,
Delgado was able to snatch the child from his arms and hold the suspect until police arrived on scene. Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets students including Dominique Daniels, Nicholas Hall, Ryiah Carcamo and Anthony Lucero also helped thwart the kidnapping attempt by blocking the alleged kidnapper’s path and calling 911. “Jesus Delgado and the Good Samaritan students from Westchester High who helped stop a kidnapping last week are bona fide neighborhood heroes,” said Councilman Mike Bonin. “I, like so many other members of the Westchester community, am incredibly thankful for the quick thinking and bravery they demonstrated. Jesus and the students who rushed to help last week embody the notion that our neighborhoods are better places to live when neighbors look out for each other, and they all have my sincerest (continued on page 4)
At left: Jesus Delgado was honored at the March NCWP meeting. NCWP board members Geoff Maleman (far left) and Cyndi Hench present Delgado with a commendation for his bravery.
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06 “Binding Desire” puts collection of artists’ books on display 10 Construction begins at IMAX facility at Playa Vista