Dealership Steps on Gas for Fiesta Bowl Parade

The Buick/GMC dealership in Sherman Oaks raised $2,500 last month to assist a local high-school marching band. The fundraiser was organized for the Notre Dame High School band, which needs $125,000 to send its 105-member troupe to Phoenix to participate in the Dec. 28 Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade, part of the festivities surrounding the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl played New Year’s Day in Tempe. Greg Anderson, general manager of the dealership, said supporting the only high school in Sherman Oaks was vital to the dealership’s longstanding presence in the area. “It was important for us to have some grassroots fundraising for this community,” he said. The dealership at 14415 Ventura Blvd. opened in 1948 and is owned by Casa Automotive Group of Sherman Oaks, which owns several other community car businesses, including the Casa de Cadillac dealership and a Hummer service center. Band Director John Combes said the amount raised was small in comparison to the total funding needed, but he stressed that each fundraiser helps, and he was pleasantly surprised when the dealership reached out to him. “In the Valley, we don’t have such a strong community identity sometimes. This shows that businesses can have interest in being involved,” he said. “It’s very prestigious for us to be invited to this.” The May 18 fundraiser, hosted at the dealership, featured food from Stone Fire Grill, courtesy of Casa Automotive, and recorded music. Attendees were asked to pay at least $5 as an entrance fee and encouraged to make additional donations. The $2,500 raised included a $500 donation from the dealership. “It was a great event, and we’d love to do something like this here on a monthly basis to support our community,” Anderson said. “We even got a sale out of it.” Jewish Support The New Community Jewish High School in West Hills received a $50,000 capital grant toward the reconstruction of a new campus that will open this fall. The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles awarded the sum as part of $270,000 it handed out to eight local synagogues, academic institutions and non-profits. The New Community Jewish High School opened in 2002 at a rented space at the Bernard Milken Jewish Community Campus in West Hills. In 2006, it moved to its current site at Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills. But last year, the high school purchased the Bernard Milken campus at 22622 Vanowen St. in West Hills, where the renovated facility will open in the fall. Cheri Mayman, director of marketing at the school, said the new campus will have a pool, gymnasium and auditorium. The grant will fund construction of classrooms and science labs, and help upgrade athletic facilities. The high school is in the midst of a $36 million capital campaign to fund the acquisition, improvement and operation of the site. Renovations are being conducted in stages, with the first stage due to be completed in July, and which will allow for the school to open as planned. “Every bit of support helps,” she said. “But more than that, this grant is a very important seal of approval for us from the Jewish community.” The campus will offer a fully comprehensive education for up to 450 students in grades nine through 12 – a marked growth in enrolment from the 40 who first attended the school in 2002. “It’s overwhelming and exciting to see all the possibilities we have now,” Mayman said. “We feel like the sky is the limit.” Amelia Xann, vice president of the Jewish Community Foundation’s Center for Designed Philanthropy, said there were 19 formal applications for the grants. The foundation has a criteria based heavily on whether a project is near completion. “We’re looking to ensure that the money we give will have an immediate impact on a community,” she said. “We are the last dollars in.” One other Valley organization, Temple Beth Hillel in Valley Village, received $30,000 for renovations of its sanctuary and social hall, and upgrades to its power system. TV Grant Burbank television station NBC4 is accepting applications for its second-annual non-profit grant challenge. The station, owned by Comcast Corp. of Philadelphia, will accept applications from local non-profits through July 31. After the review process, the station will award a first-place gift of $100,000 and two runner-up handouts of $50,000. Last year, all three awards were won by L.A. charities, something the station is hoping to see change, said Terri Hernandez Rosales, vice president of community affairs. “We really don’t hear from the Valley non-profits enough, and that’s unfortunate” she said. “The Valley has a lot of special programs and we want to recognize them too.” Rosales said the station received about 120 applications last year, and expects the number to increase this year. She said the station is looking specifically for charities with innovative or unique programs and can cover any area of need, including health care and homelessness. “It’s all about making this community stronger any way we can,” she said. Staff Reporter Elliot Golan can be reached at [email protected] or (818)316-3123.