Lymphoma Society

Irma Lemus RANCHO DISTRICT -- Beautiful horses, flamenco dancers and mariachi will be some of the entertainment available at a fund-raiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Saturday at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. "Fiesta of the Spanish Horse," featuring Spanish-bred horses, will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the center, 480 Riverside Drive. The evening will include a roping demonstration, music, food and a silent auction, organizers said.

BURBANK — A bagpiper played somber music as the family of longtime resident Andrew Ryan, a California Highway Patrol Officer who lost his six-year battle with cancer last week, entered St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on Wednesday for his last Mass. Ryan, 49, succumbed to cancer April 22, leaving behind his wife, Kathy Ryan, and their six children. “Everybody loved Andy,” his brother Jack Kargodorian said. “You couldn’t help it.” Ryan, a 25-year veteran with the CHP, was also assigned to the governor’s Protective Detail.

What started as Burbank resident Marty Clouser's drive to keep fit has grown into his participating in a national fundraising campaign. Clouser, 45, joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program, which raises money for patients with blood diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. As a participant in the program, Clouser collects donations on behalf of the organization while adhering to a rigorous 19-week endurance training program, which culminates in a 26.2-mile marathon.

Molly Shore Matthew Whittaker was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 1994 and has spent most of his life fighting to stay alive. This year, the 13-year-old Westchester youngster is battling his illness with help from local students. As they have done the past five years, Burbank High School students are staging a three-week Pennies for Patients drive to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a national organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services.

Irma Lemus RANCHO DISTRICT -- Traditional Aztec dancers, mariachi music and beautiful Spanish-bred horses were some of the crowd pleasers at the second annual Fiesta of the Spanish Horse. Proceeds from Saturday evening's event at the Burbank Equestrian Center will go the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, said Joanne Asman, co-producer and coordinator of the fiesta. About 3,500 people attended the event, she said. "This year we expect to double what we raised last year because so many people attended," Asman said.

Lolita Harper BURBANK -- It's time again for the Fiesta of the Spanish Horse. More than 3,800 people were in attendance last year for an afternoon of dancing, rope drills, mariachi music and -- the focus of the whole event -- Spanish-bred horses. The event celebrates the heritage of the Spanish Horse, and will feature Andalusians, Lusitanos, Peruvian Paso, Paso Fino and other horses. Attendees can watch riders, ornately dressed in traditional Spanish gear, guide specially bred horses through choreographed routines.

Chamber business luncheon is Thursday HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- Local businesses are invited to network at the monthly Business Connection Luncheon hosted by the Burbank Chamber of Commerce. Y2 Marketing is hosting the event at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Castaway, 1250 Harvard Road. Mike Flad, director of the city's Park, Recreation and Community Services Depart- ment, is the guest speaker. Tick- ets are $20 for members, $25 for prospective members. For more information, call 846-3111.

With the hiring of a new executive director, the Burbank Temporary Aid Center has a fresh opportunity to rehabilitate its image, regain some credibility and establish continuity. We hope the organization seizes the moment. Barbara Howell, whose first official day on the job was Monday, takes the administrative reins of an organization with a solid track record of fulfilling its mission -- to help meet short-term emergency needs for food, shelter, and the necessities of life that cannot be met by other established agencies; to centralize various local resources available for emergency assistance, to avoid duplication of services and to assure confidentiality; and to provide referral to other public and private agencies for ongoing services.

GAINS SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED Walt Disney Elementary School first-grader Sean Sturrock got the opportunity of a lifetime -- and, thanks to philatelists, a bit of immortality as well -- when he was asked to pose for a new 33-cent commemorative stamp. The stamp, which depicts Sean gazing down and writing on a piece of paper, is the real deal. Themed "Improving Education," it's part of the 1990s' U.S. Postal Service's "Celebrating the Century Series" and can be purchased at local post offices.

BURBANK — A bagpiper played somber music as the family of longtime resident Andrew Ryan, a California Highway Patrol Officer who lost his six-year battle with cancer last week, entered St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on Wednesday for his last Mass. Ryan, 49, succumbed to cancer April 22, leaving behind his wife, Kathy Ryan, and their six children. “Everybody loved Andy,” his brother Jack Kargodorian said. “You couldn’t help it.” Ryan, a 25-year veteran with the CHP, was also assigned to the governor’s Protective Detail.

Irma Lemus RANCHO DISTRICT -- Beautiful horses, flamenco dancers and mariachi will be some of the entertainment available at a fund-raiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Saturday at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. "Fiesta of the Spanish Horse," featuring Spanish-bred horses, will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the center, 480 Riverside Drive. The evening will include a roping demonstration, music, food and a silent auction, organizers said.