RFB&D - Inland Empire Orange County Unit

Welcome Board

Sunday, January 20, 2008 was our very first annual donor appreciation evening! The celebration was held at the new and elegant Claremont Museum of Art in Claremont. The event presented a long awaited opportunity for RFB&D to acknowledge and thank our dedicated Dream Builders, multi-year giving partners, and annual donors!

Musicians

As guests arrived they were welcomed by Bill Alpert on the violin and Kyle Champion playing the Cello. Guests were warmly greeted by friends new and old, and enjoyed wonderful Mediterranean cuisine catered by Casablanca Bar and Grill. Wine that was generously provided by the L.A. County Fair flowed freely…and was a delicious accompaniment to the falafel!

Maggie Vinnedge, Barbara Griffith, Mary-Ellen Stan, and Lillian Baumgardner

It was a privilege to see old friends, and meet new ones! We were very excited to personally thank Maggie Vinnedge from the Ontario Community Foundation, Trista Campbell and Christina Khairallah from the Ludwick Family Foundation who have been extremely generous to RFB&D.

Mike Davis and Kristen Reed Speaking

A brief program began with welcomes and introductions by our Board Chair, Mary Ellen Stan, and Fund Development Chair, Linda Yao. An energetic and rousing speech followed by Mike Davis, Executive Director who was honored to thank all of our guests for their incredible dedication and commitment to RFB&D’s mission. Excitement filled the room as Mike announced that because of our Dream Builders, multi-year giving partners, and annual donors we were able to reach and serve 500 more students last year!

Kristen Reed Speaking

The evening concluded with some very special words from Kristen Reed. She was born with Cerebral Palsy and because of that has faced incredible obstacles, not least dyslexia and a visual impairment – yet her courage and strength to overcome and succeed combined with RFB&D’s recorded textbooks helped her graduate high school, get a Bachelors Degree, and finally a Masters Degree!! As Kristen shared her story, she thanked the volunteers whose voices were her means to learning, and tearfully spoke of her immense gratitude to each of our guests for investing in RFB&D and in her life!

In conclusion Kristen’s words echoed “…please know that you may not always see the faces of those you are helping, but you are changing lives, building dreams, and truly making a difference….thank you!”

Nancy Weingartner