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Scholarship Breakfast 2003
Our Scholarship Breakfast has come and gone, but I hope that the excitement if still alive. It was wonderful to have such a terrific turn out to honor our 14 scholarship recipients. We were joined by Rich Gordon, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors; Dick Claire, Mayor of Redwood City; Michelle Lew, Non-profit Liason for Assemblyman Joe Simitian; and Les Cutting, Kiwanis Division 34 Lt. Governor. College counselors Sandy Saunders of Woodside High School, Linda Patience of Sequoia High School, and Phyllis Van Hagen of Notre Dame High School were also able to join us. Of our scholarship donors, Bill Yamada and Chuck Rigg were with us to do the honors of presenting. And last but not least we were pleasantly surprised to be able to have Phil and Louise Wang with us!
It amazes me how we can bring together the “spare” time and talents of our members, who live and work in varied locations, to make this special event happen. Example: Lou Romano living in Redwood City, brings flowers he has donated from the flower market in San Francisco. Beth Yamada who lives in San Jose picks them up from Lou, arranges them and delivers them to Kim Bravo at El Centro. And Kim brings them bright and early to the Waterfront Restaurant. All this a reflection of Beth’s desire for the very best (and all that knowing she wouldn’t be able to attend the event).
And the dedication of Donna Vaillancourt who managed to hand write 80 name tags and place cards after arriving from vacation the Tuesday before at 3am (she had expected to be back by Saturday)…. And then her crisis management skills kicked in when she found out during the early morning set up that several of the table sizes were different than expected in her carefully balanced arrangement of students, parents, and hosting Kiwanians.
Ask and you shall receive. The week before the event, Glenn Lew asked if any one might just happen to have a piano they could bring to the event so that one of our recipients could perform. Our first time guest, George Kerewicz, offered his full size Yamaha keyboard for our student honoree who performed the song “Imagine”. Miracles do happen. We’re hoping that George will join us as a member. He definitely has the spirit of unselfish giving.
This year some of our newer/est committee members thought outside the limits of the committee and drafted the talents of other club members. Luckily they all said yes. Some of these folks had never even been to a prior scholarship breakfast. So this truly was a club effort.
As I realized there was no way we would finish the event in the designated time, panic set in. We pride ourselves on finishing our meetings at 8:30am on the dot. Generally the students have barely been able to get out a thank you. This time several were inspired to give “academy award” speeches. I was so grateful that no one tried to politely sneak out to get to their jobs.
I could go on and on. Pepe prepared a nice spread and we had plenty of food. The weather that bright and early was beautiful and the view onto the boats and the waterfront added a nice touch. I hope we were all inspired by, but also that we inspired, this next generation of professionals and community servers.
In closing I need to THANK the committee – Lourdes Carini, Carl Barbieri, Kim Bravo, Rob Fish, Glenn Lew, Patty McGowan, Donna Vaillancourt and Beth Yamada. And our club collaborators – Mike Akana, Lee Chic, Maureen Fish, Randy Fish, Larry Graves, Bill Lowell, Lynne Mercer, Lou Romano and all of the club members who shared in hosting the students and their parents at your tables, and guest, George Kerewicz. And for preparing the commendations- Tiari Pena (Rose Jacob Gibson’s legislative aide, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors), Emma Broyal (Redwood City Clerk’s office), and Michelle Lew (Assemblyman Joe Simitian’s office). And of course Pepe and Dunia Rodriguez and the Waterfront Restaurant staff.
To our scholarship donors; we could not have done it without you and/or your loved ones who keep your memory alive: Nelson and Doris Bogart, Ann and Walt Butler, Vaden and Geri Mayers, Chuck and Jean Rigg, Phil and Louise Wang, the Yamada Family (represented by Bill Yamada) and the Woodside Terrace A.M. club members. Thank you, Thank you. by Barbara LiedtkE
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