Santa Clarita businesswoman Anna Ott is among the more visible members of the community taking part regularly in supporting charitable causes. It is a pattern started with her late husband, Randy, who passed away while on vacation in 2003. The couple were regular contributors to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center, the Child and Family Center and College of the Canyons. Anna followed in her husband’s footprints of keeping up with philanthropic activity as well as starting her own business, active wear retailer Bellasport (for women) and Uomo Sport (for men) in 2005. Anna, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, encourages her friends and employees to get involved with charities. “If anybody has a chance or is willing to just a pick an organization that helps children that would mean so much to everybody,” Ott said. Q: What does philanthropy mean to you? A: It means to be able to give money and support to an organization that is dear to your heart. The organizations that are dear to my heart and to my late husband’s heart were any that had to do with children. It started out with the Boys and Girls Club and then I went also with Child and Family Center helping children with behavior problems. They were also helping young families to raise their children. We were involved with the Boys and Girls Club back in the mid 80s and we’ve been giving since then. Q: How did you get involved with the Boys and Girls Club? A: The one big fundraiser they had every year was the auction. I remember that was so much fun. What I also did was get our daughter involved. They used to make what they called bid boards. I had such a blast with that. We used to have to make these boards and bring them over to the club to get them up for the big auction night. Q: What are some of the organizations you are involved with? A: I am on the board of the Child and Family Center. I have been with them a little over five years. I’ve chaired a couple of events. I got involved with them because it had to do with children. One of my friends who was on the board told me that I ought to get involved, that it’s a great organization. I’m loving it. Q: Have you in turn encouraged people to get involved as well? A: Yes I have. I tell them that it is fun when you are doing an event. And it’s for a good cause. It’s for children who need help and can’t get it otherwise. So, yes, I do bring other people in. Q: Why children’s charities? A: My husband and I, from the time we were teenagers, were always involved with kids. Our whole lives were around children because we were so young anyway. We loved being around kids and helping them. I don’t know how to pinpoint that. Q: Personally, what do you get out of the volunteer work and the donations that you make? A: I don’t look at it as donation. I’m looking at it as helping a child who needs it and needs our support. Donation to me is like giving money and forgetting about it. I don’t. You see these kids and how they started and you have these fundraisers because you want these programs to continue. Then you see one who has gone through the whole process and has blossomed into a wonderful adult, going to college or holding down a full-time job. You want to take these kids off the streets and get them the help they need. These children are our future and we need to take care of them. Q: Do you encourage your employees to get involved with charitable work? A: Yes I do. That’s a whole part of Bellasport is to get involved. Q: Have you done anything such as setting up a foundation in your late husband’s name? A: I hadn’t but I probably should have. But he is everywhere. For the hospital [Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital] he is on the granite wall, the donor wall. People have given money in his name and memory to the Boys and Girls Club and the Child and Family Center. When people find out that Randy Ott used to be involved then they tend to get involved. Q: Are there a large number of people in the Santa Clarita Valley with lengthy track records of charitable activity? A: There is a good handful of us that do that I would say 20 to 30 of us who go around to the different organizations and give. This is a very giving community. We are a close-knit, tight community; we take care of each other. When it comes time for charities and fundraisers we give. It’s just wonderful to see that.
