June 2012

Despite the forecast for another rainy day, Sunday, March 18th turned out to have the perfect

weather conditions for running a Marathon, with the exception of a little wind. Our students were prepared and wore their ponchos for most of the race, which might have been all they needed to do for the rain to stay away. They gathered at Dodger Stadium before the sun rose, and sat in the Pavilion as Dodgers owner Frank McCourt greeted the

Mission Statement

The mission of Students Run LA is to challenge at-r isk secondar y students to

experience the benefits of goal-setting, character development, adult mentoring

and improved health by providing them with a truly life-changing experience:

The training for and completion of the Honda LA Marathon.

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Volume 20 | Issue 3

(Continued on page 6)

2012 HONDA LA MARATHON

In It ForThe Long Run

students, offered encouragement and congratulated them on making it to the starting line. They sat for a group photo before heading out onto the streets of Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica, wearing their Nike shoes and unmistakable yellow singlets. The Stadium to the Sea course took them past Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Echo Park, and Silverlake, as well as landmarks including

2

From the OfficeMarsha Rosny Ginny Nikki Phyllis Karen

All of our contributors honor us by their recognition of the value of Students Run LA. Since our last newsletter, these organizations have made contributions:

3MAmerican Honda Motor Co., Inc. American Honda Associates Charities Carol and James Collins Foundation Charles Wert

Evercore TrustKaiser Permanente DowneyLA84 Foundation Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Sidney Stern Memorial Trust The Pritzker GroupTyson Foods

Greetings from the office of Students Run LA! Our stu-dents did it again! More than 99% of our 2,856 SRLA

runners completed the full 26.2-mile course at the Honda LA Marathon on Sunday, March 18th. We are so proud of what these wonderful young people have accomplished. Graduation is around the corner, and we expect that more than 90% of our 650+ SRLA seniors will graduate.

Our annual Scholarship Program began after the students completed the Marathon. As we read the seniors’ schol-arship applications, we learn again the various ways that being a member of SRLA helps and/or changes our stu-dents. We have included excerpts from several of their applications to allow their voices to speak for our success. May was SRLA Leader Appreciation Month. Our SRLA Leaders (listed by school elsewhere in this newsletter) are the caring adults who train with the students, and are the magic of our organization. They are primarily certificated teachers, but also include police officers, school adminis-trators, and school aides. As if running with the students wasn’t enough, the Leaders also mentor the students, talk to them, answer their questions, encourage them, laugh and sweat with them, and create a bond between them and running, school, and community. Representatives of other cities interested in setting up a marathon-training program for youth often visit SRLA. Their most-often-asked question to us is where we find these incredible people to be SRLA Leaders. The SRLA Leaders are a special set and truly make SRLA the effective organiza-tion it is.

SRLA continues to reach out to our alumni from the past 23 years. This month, we profile Moises Tijerino, SRLA alum from Odyssey Continuation High School. Moises, now a chef at USC, turned his life around dur-ing his years with SRLA.

One for All and All for One - The Finish Line!

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CalendarJuly 15

August 2

September 12

2012-13 Season Begins

Leader Conference

First Leader Meeting

To the Leaders:

I have been told by a number of runners who were at the Honda LA Marathon that their jaws dropped open after

seeing wave after wave of students wearing bright-neon fill the right field Pavilion at Dodger Stadium. It was at that moment they realized the impact Students Run LA has on the city through each individual runner. These are runners who understand the life changing attributes a marathon has on a person…and almost 3000 young adults to boot!

And this because of your efforts to guide, cajole, convince, demand, and simply believe in your runners’ ability to succeed. With each moment a runner spends training, the lessons of goal setting and commitment are deeply impressed. Add the euphoric moment of success when crossing the finish line, and the entire concept is anchored forever.

It is no wonder that our runners will tell us that completing the marathon has convinced them that anything is possible if they will put in the planning and effort. It is also no wonder that they become more willing to push themselves in the academic world once they understand that they can apply the same strategy as training for a marathon.

And, although they may never communicate it directly, they are truly appreciative for your being their leader in this process of discovery. They wouldn’t have done it or made it without you.

So, thank you. We are grateful to you. Together we are helping so many youth who now believe in themselves as never before. One runner at a time, taking one determined step at a time, you help foster their greatness into being.

From TheCoordinatorsPaul & Eric

Send us articles and pictures for our newsletter!Email to nikki@srla.org, or mail to:SRLA, 5252 Crebs Ave., Tarzana, CA 91356

SRLA Student Focused WebsiteLeaders, tell your students that they can access our Students Run LA website specifically designed for them. www.srlastudents.com

This year the Honda LA Marathon introduced a 2-Person Charity Relay, in which two people could

each run a half marathon alongside the Marathon runners while raising money for Students Run LA.

The first leg of the relay began at Dodger Stadium and included iconic neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Echo Park, Silverlake as well as landmarks including the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Pantages Theatre, and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. The second leg jumped immediately onto the Sunset Strip on its way to Santa Monica passing Santa Monica Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, the Veteran’s Administration, and finishing on Ocean Avenue, not far from the Santa Monica Pier.

Relay spots were only available through one of the LA Marathon’s official charities, and SRLA had 2 teams registered for the inaugural event. Collectively, the two relay teams raised $1,780 for SRLA. One of the relay runners, Michael Dorcy, has two nephews who ran the Marathon with SRLA at High-Tech High School, and he ran with Amalia Espana, the girlfriend of one of his co-workers at the Navy Recruiting Station in Simi Valley.

2 Person Charity Marathon

“I can say I have visited Los Angeles, a beautiful city with amazingly helpful people. Now I love going out and running has helped me physically

and emotionally.”

– Diana at Verdugo Hills High School

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The 2011-2012 Leaders and Groups

32nd St. School Jel Douglas

Academy for Academic Excellence Lydia Hudson

Animo Jackie Robinson High School Ryan McDonnell

Animo Locke High School Mariam Youssef

Animo Pat Brown High School Alexis Hanson

Animo Ralph Bunche Charter High School Sarah Iraheta

Animo South Los Angeles High School Brittney Dorrance

APEX Academy Daniel Fernandez

Arleta High School David Galdamez

Aspire Academy Christina de la Garza

Banning High School Joe Mendoza

Bell High School Paul Barker

Belvedere Middle School Chris Acosta

Berendo Middle School Ernie Delgado

Bethune Middle School John Hong Do

Boyle Heights Running Club Abel Navar

Bravo Magnet High School Wendy Bracamonte

Bright Star Schools Jorge Beas

Burbank/Washington Walkers Deborah Gal

Camino Nuevo Burlington Silvya Figueroa

Camino Nuevo Harvard Nicole Orlando

Camino Nuevo High School Jeannemarie DeQuiroz

Carson High School Benjamin Bravo

Carter High School Denise Miller

Carver Middle School Elia Bernal

Centennial College Prepatory Academy Katie Spencer

Champs Charter High School Floyd Thweatt

Chatsworth High School Anita Hoch

City of Angels Sylvia Juarez

Cleveland High School Jose Moran

Colegio New City Ismael Flores

Columbus Middle School Cathi Cornell

Community Charter Early College Rosy Santana

Compton High School Donald Ocana

Crenshaw High School Mario Quijada

Dodson Middle School Paula Baird

Dorsey High School Michael Sheehan

Downtown Magnet Lulu Rojas

Downtown Value Hajera Qavi (Continued on page 5)

Group Name Primary Leader Group Name Primary Leader

Dr. Julian Nava Learning Academy Ruthnaomi Manchan

Dr. Olga Mohan High School Sung Kim

Eagle Rock High School Moises De Leon

East LA - SEA Alberto Robles

Edison Middle School Sarah Fritz

El Sereno Middle School Jeffrey Stemnock

Elizabeth Learning Center Nancy Garcia

Ellen Ochoa Learning Center Leticia Ortega

ESAT Roman Guerra

Esteban Torres High School Norma Lopez

Fairfax High School Brian Dunbar

Film and Theatre Arts Jessica Davis

Firebaugh High School Jaclyn McKie

Foshay Learning Center Julie Christman

Fremont High School Jake Sanchez

Frisbie Middle School Linda Sauceda

Fulton College Prep. David Arbogast

Gardena High School Richard Schott

Garfield High School JROTC Raymond Eason

Gertz-Ressler High School Leticia Vallejo

Grace Yokley Middle School Lisa Alcala

Griffith Middle School Barbara Whitsitt

Hamilton High School Marlene Garza

Harbor Teacher Prep Irene Serna

Hawthorne High School Melanie McClaren

High Tech LA Adrian Bewley

Hollenbeck Middle School Andrew Tapia

Hollywood High School Geoff Buck

Hoover High School Jennifer Capehart

Huntington Park High School Janet Ho

Irving Middle School Ava Polanco

Jefferson High School Johanna Wightman

John Adams Middle School Fernando Navarro

John Burroughs Middle School Alex Bozin

John Liechty Middle School Tara Peters

John R. Wooden High School Pedro Solarzano

Katella High School Edison Guillermo

Kennedy High School Gabriel Cedillo

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(Continued from page 4)

North Hills - SEA Joe Lomonaco

North Hollywood High School Marta Schultz

Odyssey High School Juan Rodriguez

Pacoima Middle School Charlie Koski

Panorama High School Alma Alvarado

Polytechnic High School Dennis Madrigal

Port of Los Angeles High School Maria Pettyjohn

Providence High School Mercedes Parodi

Ramon Cortines High School Jeff Morse

Reseda High School Fernando Fernandez

Richard Merkin Middle School Isela Cruz

Roosevelt High School Susana Reynoso

Roy Romer Middle School Lori Maynes

Saint Ignatius Roberta Garcia

Saint Marys Martha Flores

Sal Castro Middle School Johanna Petrich

San Fernando High School Deo Jaravata

San Pedro High School Alberto Alvarez-Estrada

Santa Monica PAL Karen Humphrey

Santee Education Complex Fernando Molina

Sepulveda Middle School Troy McElhaney

Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies Elsa LaFraniere

South Gate Complex Michael Danielczyk

Southeast High School Brian Jacoby

Southeast Middle School Irene Flores

Southern California Indian Center Phillip Hale

Stevenson Middle School Josephine Schaller

Stoney Point High School George Padgett

Sun Valley Middle School Carmen Padilla

Taft High School Cesar Moreno

Tujunga Runners Yvonne Mojica

UCLA Community School Michael Nemiroff

Valor Academy Angie Trae

Van Nuys Middle School Manuel Castellanos

Venice High School Mike Smith

Virgil Middle School Bardo Baluyot

Vista del Mar Middle School Mark Yanaura

Walter Reed Middle School Andrenetta Washington

Webster Middle School Stacy Erenberg

Wilmington Middle School Jessica Shoemaker

Wilson Police Academy Fidel Fuentes

King Middle School Julia La Riva King/Drew Magnet High School Thomas Usher KIPP Los Angeles Preparatory School Danny HerreraKranz Intermediate Alice Shum L.A. Center for Enriched Studies Jose Rojas LAHSA Edlin Reconco LAPD 77th Cadets Joe Sanchez LAPD Foothill-PTE Joel Frias LAPD Hollywood PAL Elias Aguayo LAPD Metro Division Willie Fajardo LAPD Newton Cadets Charlie Garzon LAPD NHWD Cadets Heather KowalczykLAPD Rampart Laurissa Provost LAPD Southwest Arturo Gonzalez LAPD Wilshire Cadets Tony Euyoque Las Flores Middle School Kimberly McDermottLawndale High School Danielle Stronks Lawrence Middle School Don Frost Le Conte Middle School Milton Hom Leuzinger High School Jose Romo Lincoln High School Rosa Parra Los Nietos Middle School Linda Cojohn Luther Burbank Middle School Sarah Williams Maclay Middle School Luis Lepe Madrid Middle School Merce Chavez Manual Arts High School Todd Engle Marc and Eva Stern High School Berenice Felix Marco Forster Middle School Carla Kallen Marina Del Rey Middle School Ivan Herrera Mark Twain Middle School Karina Cebreros Marshall High School Lin Joy Hom Maywood Academy High Ottoniel Diaz Middle College High School Sherwin Boucher Miguel Contreras Learning Complex Andy Molnar Monroe Police Academy Oscar VillanuevaMontebello High School Carmen Patlan Mt. Gleason Middle School Craig Moss Mulholland Middle School Ronald Sampson Nightingale Middle School Maria Isabel MolinaNiguel Hills Middle School Valerie Lindeborg Nimitz Middle School Juan Perez Nobel Middle School Cheree Coyle North High School Jay Estabrook

Group Name Primary Leader Group Name Primary Leader

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Honda LA Marathon

the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Pantages Theatre, and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. After passing the half-marathon mark, they ran through the Sunset Strip, Doheny Blvd, Rodeo Drive, and the very loud cheer alley before running down Santa Monica Blvd and through the Veteran’s Administration. Running up the hill onto San Vicente in Brentwood, they eventually reached the Brentwood Presbyterian Church near Mile 22. Just when they thought their legs couldn’t carry them any further, they saw the Running Them In volunteers come over and promise to see them to the finish line. Finally, they turned the

corner onto Ocean Ave, and crossed the finish line just steps from the Santa Monica Pier.

Thank you to all the family members, friends, teachers, sponsors, volunteers and Board members who helped our students cross the finish line. Whether you supported them throughout the training season, cheered for them on race day, passed out water and food, or ran the last 4 miles, they couldn’t have done it without you! More than 99% of SRLA students and Leaders completed the Marathon in 2012. Congratulations!!

Running Them In volunteers cheer for the students near Mile 22.

Mile 22

(Continued from page 1)

Once again, volunteers from the community came out to Mile 22 in the afternoon, to run the last

4.2 miles with some of our students. For our students, these volunteers gave them a much-needed boost at the end of a long day (and long journey), helping them cross the finish line. For the volunteers, it was a memorable experience. Here’s the report from several of them:

Millie from Sony: I had a wonderful time yesterday and want to thank you for organizing the program for us volunteers. It was fun, inspiring and left me with a fantastic sense of gratification. The young lady I escorted to the finish line was grateful for my help as was her family. What a fantastic way to end the week!

Josh from Paramount: My kid was so awesome! He was saying how he was planning on walking the rest of the race until I came along and we ran in it the whole

way. He kept saying how much better it is to run with someone and was so appreciative. At the finish line he said running the marathon was the best experience of his life! It was so rewarding and such a great experience! I would definitely do it again!!!

Ken from Neutrogena: I had the privilege of running with not just one student, but three. Their names are Sergio, Luis and Roger. When I joined them at mile 22, Sergio’s hamstring was really cramping up. Both of the other boys immediately stopped to help him, as they had decided to run the entire marathon together and didn’t care if one of them slowed the others down. They both helped Sergio stretch his hamstring out, and eventually he was able to stand up and start to walk slowly. I honestly didn’t think he was going to finish.

I asked the boys what the hardest part of the race was. They all agreed it was the mental aspect.... Telling yourself you were going to finish and blocking out the doubt. So I decided right then that I was going to focus on taking their minds off of things. And because they could no longer run, I knew it was going to be a long time before we reached the finish line. I asked if they planned to go to college. Roger said he was taking honors and AP classes and wanted to go to Cal Berkeley. I kept these kids

(Continued on page 8)

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Moises Tijerino turned his life around when he trained for and ran the Honda LA Marathon.

Bouncing between high schools in South Gate and Huntington Park left Moises lonely and unhappy. “I was overweight, the kid without friends, so I started hanging with the ‘cool’ kids who were smoking and getting into trouble,” Moises reflected. “I was making really bad choices, thinking they were the cool choices.”

When Moises finally landed at Odyssey Continuation High School in South Gate, he encountered SRLA Leader Juan Rodriguez, who encouraged him to come run with the SRLA group there.

“I was the fat kid who was really slow,” laughs the now trim and fit Moises. “It was not fun at all!”

Moises dropped out of SRLA after only a few weeks, but Mr. Rodriguez spoke with his mother at Back to School Night and encouraged her to ask Moises to return. Mr. Rodriguez saw that Moises needed help and was a good candidate for SRLA. Moises did return, and lasted through the 15K race in November. He quit again, because, as he says now, he was still too heavy and was smoking and staying out late.

However, Mr. Rodriguez did not give up on Moises. He caught up with him at school one day, took him aside, looked right at him, and said, “Moises, I know you can do this. Trust me, in a couple of months you will accomplish something that you thought could never be done. I guarantee you that you can finish the LA Marathon if you stick with the group. It is hard but at the end it will be worth it. Just give it a chance and I promise you won’t regret it.”

Moises rejoined the SRLA team, and began training in earnest. He found that he couldn’t keep smoking to be able to keep running. He also listened to Mr. Rodriguez’s guidance about drinking water and eating in a healthier manner. After about two weeks back, he realized he had lost ten pounds. By the time he ran the LA Marathon, he was a slim 170 pounds…a loss of nearly 50 pounds!

Mr. Rodriguez ran the entire 26.2 miles at Moises’ side. When they finished, Moises thanked and hugged him. He couldn’t believe that he had just completed a Marathon.

Moises now says that the feedback and encouragement from his SRLA Leader was what made the difference. He not only successfully completed the LA Marathon (in 5 hours 48 minutes), but he also graduated from Odyssey High School, enrolled in cooking school, and got a job at USC as a chef. As Moises says now, “Being in SRLA made me realize that I have to follow my own dreams and aspirations…I have to always believe in myself because I pushed my body to somewhere my mind thought was never possible. Now I have a new support team in my wife, Daniela, and son, Ivan Thomas.”

(NOTE: Ivan Thomas was born May 6th. That means we’ll be looking for him in SRLA in about the fall of 2024!)

SRLA ALUM IS A CHEF AT USC

Moises Tijerino, before participating in SRLA.

Running the Marathon with SRLA.

Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/StudentsRunLA) or Follow us on Twitter (@srla)

for the latest news, photos and contests from the SRLA office. We will send you photos and updates from our races too, so even when you can’t be there, you’ll feel like you’re part of the action.

Facebook and Twitter

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Marathon Leaders: The Magic Behind SRLA

Without a doubt, Marathon Leaders are the key to the success of the SRLA program. It’s

that simple. They give hours of their personal time running miles and miles with their students, managing their rosters, organizing their training and providing adult mentorship to their students. This year, at the Honda LA Marathon, 2856 students and their Leaders started the race, and an astonishing 2834 triumphantly crossed the finish line. Amazingly, this represents a 99.2% completion rate, and reflects the efforts of our 465 Marathon Leaders.

With great thanks for their dedication, the annual Leader Appreciation Dinner was held in their honor on Wednesday, May 30th, at the Sportsmen’s Lodge. 220 leaders came together in celebration of their commitment to Students Run LA. Our annual Star Awards were awarded to four individuals who

have had an ongoing commitment to the vision and goals of Students Run LA. The STAR award gives special recognition to individuals who unselfishly and enthusiastically provide outstanding leadership. The recipients were Leticia Ortega of Ellen Ochoa Learning Center, Patrick Brown of Kennedy High School, Marlene Garza of Hamilton High School and Juan Rodriguez of Odyssey Continuation School. In addition, representing SRLA Cares, Harry Shabazian presented Vitamix blenders to Mark Yanaura of Vista Del Mar and Barbara Whitsitt of Griffith Middle School for their ongoing commitment to their communities. Additionally, 61 schools were presented award certificates representing their diligence in attending meetings, events and distributions. SRLA thanks all of these men and women for their service to their students and to SRLA.

Volunteers from Paramount Pictures.

talking for an hour and a half, and they could not have been nicer. I’m so happy to say they all finished.

After they crossed the finish line, they all gave me a hug and said that they couldn’t believe how fast the last 4 miles went. Then it dawned on them why. Luis said, “I think it’s because we’ve been talking the whole time. But I don’t mean that in a bad way. Thanks a lot for doing this with us.” This was a great experience for me and I met three terrific kids.

Kadi from Paramount: Thank you for organizing, it was so fun. I found myself with a girl who seemed to need not only encouragement, but a shoulder to cry on. She had a bit of a meltdown that included everything from schoolwork to her home life. She laughed, she cried, the poor girl was kind of falling apart. By the end though, I think she was very proud of herself, and felt really great about her accomplishment. It felt good to be there for her.

John from Dorado Industries: (My student was) Antonio, a 7th grader from CCPA in Huntington Park. Sore ankles got him at mile 20 but he hot-footed it to the finish line at 6:45. Very talkative and inquisitive about old guys and running. He’ll be back next year!

(Continued from page 6)

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W ith the excitement and expectation of graduation here, it is with great pleasure

that Students Run LA is able to award scholarships to 85 of its graduating seniors who took par t in the 2011-2012 marathon season. These students not only represent the best of their schools, but they have achieved an elite status---completing a 26.2-mile marathon, a feat accomplished by only a fraction of the population. This achievement requires resolve, perseverance, focus and determination, all qualities required to find success at college or university. These same inner qualities discovered by our students through their effor ts at SRLA will carry them far. Kevin at Crenshaw High School noticed, “after joining SRLA I became more open to the idea of new things”, and Thomas at Chatsworth High School said “I managed to bridge relationships with other runners and opened my eyes to diverse communities outside of my own.” These newly recognized attributes will hold these students in good stead throughout their lives. It is with pride in their accomplishment that we offer to each of these students a $500 scholarship.

Continuing a tradition of past years, two memorial scholarships were awarded honoring former members of the SRLA Board of Directors. The John Liechty Award went to Gloria Lopez of John R. Wooden Continuation High School, and the Philip Saldivar Award went to Maria Vidal of San Fernando High School. Both John and Phil spent their careers supporting and devising alternative learning opportunities to enhance the educational prospects for young people. Gloria plans to attend Pierce College and Maria is going across town to UCLA.

The recipients of our scholarships graduated from 42 different high schools over the Greater Los Angeles area, and will attend 41 separate colleges or universities from California to New York. With the start of school, every campus of the University of California system, all branches of the California State

We’re Going To College!2012 SRLA Scholarships Awarded

University system, and several Ivy League universities will have an SRLA student gracing its halls.

The senior scholarship portion of the SRLA program gives us all an added measure of pleasure and pride. However, these scholarships could not happen without the tremendous support and generosity of various foundations and individuals who specifically fund the scholarship program. We therefore wish to thank the Albert & Elaine Borchard Foundation, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Fund, Larry Rawson, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, Simon-Strauss Foundation, Sterling Foundation, The Green Foundation and Union Bank. It is with gratitude and appreciation that with this support, 85 students will have the opportunity to realize their dreams of going to college.

Smiles all around at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Proudly displaying their well-deserved finishers’ medals.

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3M

Aetna Foundation

Ahmanson Foundation

Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

American Honda Associates Charities

Associated Administrators of LA

Bank of America

Beyond The Bell

Brotman Foundation of California

California Endowment

California Statewide Certified Development Corporation

The California Wellness Foundation

Carol and James Collins Foundation

Costco Wholesale

The David Young Group

Dwight Stuart Youth Fund

Eisner Foundation

Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Fund

Evercore Trust Company

Flora L. Thornton Foundation

Foundation for Global Sports Development

Gallifrey One Convention

Henry L. Guenther Foundation

The Honorable Bernard Parks

The Honorable Bill Rosendahl

The Honorable Dennis Zine

The Honorable Gloria Molina

The Honorable Joe Buscaino

The Honorable Mark Ridley Thomas

The Honorable Richard Alarcon

The Honorable Tom LaBonge

The Honorable Tony Cardenas

The Honorable Zev Yaroslavsky

J.B. and Emily Van Nuys Charities

John W. Carson Foundation

Kaiser Permanente – Downey

Kaiser Permanente – Los Angeles

Kaiser Permanente – Panorama City

Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation

LA84 Foundation

LA Marathon

Larry Rawson

Los Angeles Frontrunners Race

Los Angeles Police Department – Cadets Program

Los Angeles Unified School District

McCourt Group

Merrill Lynch

Metropolitan Theatres

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Milken Family Foundation

Murad Family Foundation

Neutrogena

Niagara Bottling, LLC

Nike, Inc.

Northrop Grumman EChO

Paramount Pictures

Ralph L Smith Foundation

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Rebecca & Richard Lewis

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Ruth & Allen Ziegler Foundation

S. Mark Taper Foundation

Sascha Brastoff Foundation

Sidney Stern Memorial Trust

Simon-Strauss Foundation

SKETCH Foundation

Sony Pictures

Sterling Foundation

The Gas Company

The Green Foundation

The Pritzker Family Foundation

The Rose Hills Foundation

Trader Joe’s

Tyson Foods

UniHealth Foundation

Union Bank Foundation

W. M. Keck Foundation

Weingart Foundation

Thank You to ALL of our FUNDERS!

FUNDERS 2012

NOTE: 93% of all donations go directly to the SRLA program; only 7% is used for management and fundraising.

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Board of Directors 2011-2012

Nathan CrairDirector

Merrill LynchPresident of the Board

Beth GordieLatham & Watkins LLP

Vice President of the Board

Frederic Mandell, D.D.S.Studio City Dental Group

Secretary of the Board

Charles WertPresident and CEO

Evercore Trust Company N.A.Treasurer of the Board

Marsha CharneyCo-Founder

Students Run LA

Alvaro CortésAssistant Superintendent

Beyond The BellLos Angeles Unified School District

Becca DotenCommunications Consultant

Steven MillerSensus Consulting Inc.

Stephan MorikawaAssistant Vice President, Corporate Community

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Veronica PerezPartner for Public Policy & Regulation

Holland & Knight

Larry RawsonGreenwich Investment Partners

Anjanette RichelieuBusiness Strategy ManagerNeutrogena Corporation

Mark ShindermanPartner

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP

Eric SpearsPrincipal, Community Day Schools

Los Angeles Unified School DistrictCo-Founder, Students Run LA

Paul TrapaniTeacher, John R. Wooden High School

Co-Founder, Students Run LA

Helen YñiguezRegional Marketing Manager

Costco Wholesale

Advisory Board

Bruce Corwin, Metropolitan Theatres

Patrick Escobar, LA 84 Foundation

Dan Isaacs, Associated Administrators of LA

Roberta Weintraub, Educational Entrepreneur

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Sidney Stern Memorial Trust The Pritzker GroupTyson Foods

Last run of the season prior to the Marathon - Students and Elite Athletes together.

In a unique event that involved the youngest and the fastest runners in the LA Marathon field, students from 4 schools met

and ran with the LA Marathon elite athletes.

On Friday morning, March 16, the LA Marathon elite marathon runners arrived in Griffith Park for their last training run prior to the Marathon. Students from Camino Nuevo High School, Maclay Middle School, Camino Nuevo Harvard Middle School, and Ellen Ochoa Learning Center also arrived before the sun rose for the unique opportunity to run with the elite athletes. The students cheered for the athletes as they completed a 3-mile loop 3 times, then ran a cool-down mile with the elites, took photos, and got autographs. As one student said, “I’m so excited to watch the news on Sunday night and point to the winning athletes and tell my family, ‘I ran with them’.”

Students Meet the Elites

Students enjoy the unique opportunity to meet the elite athletes.

We’d like to thank the following people for their contributions to this newsletter:

Photos

Staff

Senior Coordinators Harry Shabazian, Boyle Heights H.S. Eric Spears, CDS, K-12 Paul Trapani, John R. Wooden H.S.

Coordinators Abel Navar, Boyle Heights H.S. Joe Mendoza, Banning H.S.

Produced By Leo Veleff - www.istudio12.com

Marsha CharneyExecutive Director

Rosny MandellDirector of Operations

Ginny GibbsDevelopment Director

Nikki CarelliProgram Director

Karen KalanMarketing/

Phyllis NewmanProgram Assistant

5252 Crebs AvenueTarzana, CA 91356

Students Run America

Joe Mendoza Rosny Mandell

Ginny GibbsTomomi Shirai

SRLA: 818.654.3360 www.srla.org

Communications Associate