Service Clubs

Retirement was fun for a while, but it's definitely not something I want to do for the rest of my life. And so Burbank - I'm back! During my brief sabbatical, I did learn to smell the roses - and pick some out of my mother's garden. She has 200 bushes, so it was easy! But I also did some exploring around town. I found out Joslyn Adult Center has a beautiful computer lab where those 55 and older can take classes for a nominal fee and have free access to computers on Mondays and Fridays.

Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis The 15 th Annual Mayors' Cup Golf Tournament hosted by the Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis was held on April 27 and it went very well.  Former and current city of Burbank Mayors and all their golf playing friends, as well as our high school players, participate every year in this great fundraising event. Among the Mayors present were current (at the time of the tournament) Mayor Jess Talamantes , as well as former Mayors Todd Campbell , Mary Lou Howard , Dave Golonski , Marsha Ramos , Gary Bric , and Vince Stefano . The first place winners in “A Flight” were:  Michael Cusumano , Bret Mersola , Mike Rigo and Steve Dickson .  First place winners “for B Flight”:  Gary Bric , Ken Spencer , John Bryan and Ron Jancula . The first place High School winners were:  Andy Chung and Bryan Dunayer of Burbank High School, partnered with Kelsy Danzeisen and Sivakorn Losakul of John Burroughs High School.

T he Foothill Civitan Club of Burbank's Philanthropy Fundraising Event on May 8 at the Castaway Restaurant was a great success. The fashion show, "Pretty as a Picture," with members of the club and families as the models was very well done and the clothes were marvelous. The Foothill Civitan Club is extremely proud to have previously underwritten the cost of three Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), assistance dogs, at a cost of $10,000 per dog. Proceeds from this year's event will enable them to continue to support projects like this, along with their other philanthropy projects including: scholarships at local high schools, continued support of Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, contributions to the Salvation Army's various programs, sponsoring three families in the Burbank Coordinating Council's Holiday Basket, sponsorship of the Annual Girls Ponytail Jamboree, which includes a parade, hot dog lunch and trophies and continued support of the BCR "a place to grow" and Tierra Del Sol, as well as many other charities.

Edward Headington If there is one theme that resonates throughout our lives, community and nation, it is service to others. Apart from love and friendship, labor is the greatest gift we can give to one another. And laboring for others through service clubs is what Tocqueville was hinting at almost two centuries ago as to the secret to our country's greatness. I come to this column with a great love for our city, as a third-generation Burbanker, and with a family history in serving others.

Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis The 15 th Annual Mayors' Cup Golf Tournament hosted by the Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis was held on April 27 and it went very well.  Former and current city of Burbank Mayors and all their golf playing friends, as well as our high school players, participate every year in this great fundraising event. Among the Mayors present were current (at the time of the tournament) Mayor Jess Talamantes , as well as former Mayors Todd Campbell , Mary Lou Howard , Dave Golonski , Marsha Ramos , Gary Bric , and Vince Stefano . The first place winners in “A Flight” were:  Michael Cusumano , Bret Mersola , Mike Rigo and Steve Dickson .  First place winners “for B Flight”:  Gary Bric , Ken Spencer , John Bryan and Ron Jancula . The first place High School winners were:  Andy Chung and Bryan Dunayer of Burbank High School, partnered with Kelsy Danzeisen and Sivakorn Losakul of John Burroughs High School.

It is that time of year for the service clubs to begin distributing their scholarship awards. The Magnolia Park Optimist Club made its first awards presentation at the club's April 5th dinner meeting. This event took place at the Elk's Club in Burbank. The “Meet the Challenge” awards are given to students who were at risk of not completing their high school educations. Club members Evie Magnante and Sue Kyle presented three students, who met the challenge and are completing their educations in June, with $500 scholarships.

The Burbank Kiwanis For Fun Car Show and Arts and Crafts Fair is almost here. This 13th Annual Car Show will be held on Sunday, April 29, from 9 to 3:30 p.m., at Johnny Carson Park, 400 Bob Hope Dr., Burbank. It will feature beautiful vintage vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, live entertainment, goodie bags, opportunity drawings, food, beverages, and arts and crafts vendors. This club serves a great pancake breakfast and a super lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs and the best French fries this side of the Mississippi.

Retirement was fun for a while, but it's definitely not something I want to do for the rest of my life. And so Burbank - I'm back! During my brief sabbatical, I did learn to smell the roses - and pick some out of my mother's garden. She has 200 bushes, so it was easy! But I also did some exploring around town. I found out Joslyn Adult Center has a beautiful computer lab where those 55 and older can take classes for a nominal fee and have free access to computers on Mondays and Fridays.

September was the month that the Burbank For Fun Kiwanis Aktion Club joined a lot of other Aktion Clubs at Wonder Valley for their annual convention. This event continues to grow exponentially every year. It is a great time for learning and renewing friendships. The Aktion Clubs are the Kiwanis service clubs for developmentally disabled adults. The amount of time the members spend serving their communities and the projects they undertake is amazing. They all are eager to help in any way they can. Each club made a presentation of all their accomplishments during the past year.

It is that time of year for several of our service clubs to have a changing of the guard and allow others members to participate in the decision-making process with new leadership. And so on the evening of September 22nd, the Kiwanis Club of Burbank held a dinner to install their new officers. The event was held in one of the banquet rooms at the Castaway Restaurant which was beautifully decorated in the chosen theme of black and red and all those in attendance were dressed in the same colors.

T he Foothill Civitan Club of Burbank's Philanthropy Fundraising Event on May 8 at the Castaway Restaurant was a great success. The fashion show, "Pretty as a Picture," with members of the club and families as the models was very well done and the clothes were marvelous. The Foothill Civitan Club is extremely proud to have previously underwritten the cost of three Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), assistance dogs, at a cost of $10,000 per dog. Proceeds from this year's event will enable them to continue to support projects like this, along with their other philanthropy projects including: scholarships at local high schools, continued support of Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, contributions to the Salvation Army's various programs, sponsoring three families in the Burbank Coordinating Council's Holiday Basket, sponsorship of the Annual Girls Ponytail Jamboree, which includes a parade, hot dog lunch and trophies and continued support of the BCR "a place to grow" and Tierra Del Sol, as well as many other charities.

The Magnolia Park Optimist Club honored students at its April 15 meeting who were able to overcome many obstacles to achieve their goals. Optimists Evie Magnante and Sue Kyle did an outstanding job of selecting the students who won ?Meet the Challenge? scholarships. ?If it is to be, it is up to me!? was their motto. Each student received a $500 scholarship. The winners are: Angelina Badalian from Burroughs High School, who was introduced by Jeanne Chambers from the Burroughs Career Center; Chynna Monforte from Monterey High School, who received the award from her counselor Joe Peterson ; and Marissa Bribiesca of Burbank High School, who was introduced by Sue Kyle (her counselor was unable to attend)