Boston Marathon Tragedy Survivor Honored by Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services

More than $170,000 was raised at the 2014 Mentor Awards Gala to benefit the treatment and education programs for at-risk youth served by Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services.

Held Oct. 23 at a private club in downtown Los Angeles, the evening honored three of Optimist’s major supporters – survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy John and Karen Odom of Redondo Beach and labor attorney and philanthropist Alfred J. Landegger, Esq. of Tarzana. A special Helping Hand Award was given to the Burbank/Magnolia Park Optimist Club. Co-hosted by CNN’s Michaela Pereira and KTLA’s Chris Schauble, over 275 guests feted the Odom’s and Landegger at the dinner and auction. The dinner chair was Carolyn Rodriguez of City National Bank, last year’s Mentor Award Recipient.

The proceeds include $19,000 which was raised through a live auction at the gala and earmarked to support the installation of artificial turf on the agency’s main campus as well as foster parent recruitment.

LA County Supervisor Don Knabe presented the Odom’s with the Mentor Award and Gary Gitlin, Esq. presented the Humanitarian Award to Landegger.

Founded in 1906, Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services is one of the region’s largest education and treatment centers for juvenile offenders and other at-risk children. It operates residential care facilities for 97 boys on its Highland Park campus, four group homes, a state certified non-public high school, a Charter School for probation and foster youth, multifaceted mental health programs for community youth and families, and a foster care and adoption agency.