A milestone birthday celebration
Fountain Valley resident Hazel Johnson recently celebrated her 100th birthday with friends and family. Her story begins in Edwardsville, Ill. As soon as she could count money, she worked in her father’s country store. When she was 9 years old, she pumped gas for customers. She drove a Dodge stick shift when she was 12 and didn’t stop driving until her 90s.
She attended business secretarial school in St Louis before working for the draft board, enlisting young soldiers for World War II. She then began a 29-year career with Olin Corporation. In 1945, the war was ending, and Hazel married the love of her life Paul Johnson. They were married 65 fun-filled years, attending Cardinals games, square dancing, playing cards, traveling to the beach at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. while being godparents to at least 20 children of family and friends. They spent their last 20 years in Tampa, Fla, where Hazel volunteered at a hospice every week.
Known for her velvet red cake and Christmas dinners, Hazel’s house was full of guests and treats. Hazel took on 20-year-old Josh as a renter, and soon became a cheering fan for the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team for which Josh worked. The last year and half has brought Hazel to Fountain Valley where she lives in a board and care home at Los Tiempos, near her family.
–Submitted by Lesly Figueroa, Los Tiempos Senior Living
Tustin-Santa Ana Rotary Club helps out in Guatemala
The Rotary Club of Tustin-Santa Ana is participating in a literacy project in Guatemala designed to break the cycle of poverty in one of the poorest and most illiterate countries in the Americas. The project, involving Rotary Clubs from around the world, has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 children. It is focused in the highland areas of Guatemala, primarily serving the indigenous populations.
The project provides textbooks and computer labs to middle schools and reading material to elementary schools. It also includes training for teachers on how to best utilize these new teaching materials in their classes. The project is made self-sustaining through a user fee charged for textbooks and computer labs. That money is then used to replace materials after they have completed their useful service. Club members travel to Guatemala each year to deliver the materials and interact with the teachers and students.
The Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) is one of the largest projects in the Rotary world and has been identified as the Gold Stand of literacy projects.
–Submitted by Dick Anderson, 2019-20 Club President
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society chapter announces 2020 Students of the Year
Orange County students are making a difference in the fight against blood cancer. Through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Orange County Inland Empire Chapter’s fundraising campaign, Students of the Year, 10 high school student teams raised nearly $500,000 through virtual fundraising for LLS’s cutting-edge cancer research and patient services.
Team 6LPH, Will Stauffer, 17, Kayla Hayashi, 17, and Jacqie Gordon, 16, of Huntington Beach High raised the most funds across the Orange County Inland Empire and earned the winning title, “Students of the Year.”
Students of the Year is a seven-week philanthropic leadership development program during which students foster professional skills such as entrepreneurship, marketing, and project management to raise funds for LLS, a global leader in the fight against cancer. This year’s campaign was executed through virtual fundraising events. The title Student(s) of the Year is awarded to the candidate or co-candidates in each community who raises the most funds. Top local fundraisers become eligible to win the national title. The students raise money in honor of a local patient hero who is currently battling or is in remission from a blood cancer.
The grand total raised by 10 teams was $452,609
Other teams:
Team Conquer Cancer – Aiden Brutman, Trent Liolios, & Kevin Forbath (Newport Harbor High, Newport Beach)
Team Connect and Cure – Sanya Dhama & Tristan Galvan (Santiago High, Santa Ana)
Team CUREators – Liz Bregman & Kristen Bold (Foothill High, Santa Ana)
Team Mission CANcer-vive – Juleen Erives (Martin Luther King High, Riverside)
The Mission Award is given to the candidate who shows exemplary commitment to the mission of LLS throughout this campaign. The Mission Award recipient is Juleen Erives (Martin Luther King High).
The Community Involvement Award is given to the candidate who best incorporates and inspires his or her community through this campaign. The Community Involvement Award recipients are Ceci Warren and Ava Jansen (Foothill High).
The Innovation Award is given to the candidate who has gone above and beyond to think outside the box, to help secure new opportunities for LLS. The Innovation Award recipient is Sanya Dhama (Santiago High).
To apply or nominate a student for the 2021 Students of the Year program, visit: www.studentsoftheyear.org/get-involved
–Submitted by Emily Bartlett, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Bravo! section highlights achievements of our residents and groups. Send news of achievements for consideration to ocrbravo@gmail.com