"Step Up to the Plate for Hunger" and "Tops Off for Breast Cancer" Up Next With LaFern Cusack on 710ESPN Radio

AIRING SUNDAY OCTOBER 31, 2010 on the Southern California Experience with LaFern Cusack Airs every Sunday (5a-6a pst) on 710 ESPN Radio and Online: http://es.pn/9Usbxx

Genevieve Riutort, Director of Development of the Westside Food Bank speaks with LaFern Cusack about their Westside Food Bank's 20th Annual 5K Hunger Walk: Step Up to the Plate for a Hunger Free Community, Sunday, November 7, 2010, 12:30pm.


Westside Food Bank’s mission is to distribute as much food as possible to local agencies with food assistance programs and to reduce food waste on the Westside of Los Angeles County. As the food bank warehouse for the Westside since 1981, we annually distribute nearly 4 million pounds of food to the food assistance programs of 65 Westside social service agencies. We do not distribute food directly to individuals, only to agencies.

Westside Food Bank accepts donations of non-perishable food and other items M-F 7am to 5pm. Contact Allison Griffith at 310-828-6016 x 12 for more information, to arrange a different drop off time or if you have a perishable food donation.

(Photo Right Id: Genevieve Riutort, Director of Development of the Westside Food Bank).

Turkey Drives: Westside Food Bank is in need for turkeys for the holiday season! Please consider holding a frozen turkey drive or simply donating a frozen turkey for a local family in need. Need a flyer? Contact Allison Griffith at 310-828-6016 x12 for more information on donating turkeys during this holiday season.  Diaper Drive: Diapers are urgently needed by our local community! These essential items are not covered under food stamps or other assistance. Partially opened diaper packs are welcome. We'll take all sizes, though sizes 4-5 are most often requested. Contact Allison Griffith at (310) 828-6016 x12 if you have any questions or to make arrangements for drop-off.  Too much fruit from your tree? Westside Food Bank also accepts donations of fruit! Simply collect the fruit from your tree and bring it to the Food Bank.

Food Drives: Hold a Food Drive at your home, business, school or faith organization. Please call our warehouse manager, Milton Gonzalez at 310-828-6016 x 11 if you would like to have collection barrels delivered and picked up. Please note, 1 week notice is required for barrel delivery and pickup. The following are the types of food we like to receive: (no glass please, except for baby food.) Please make sure that all food donated has not been opened if it is not individually wrapped, and that the inner packaging is still intact. Please, no expired food.

Westside Food Bank's 20th Annual 5K Hunger Walk is free to participants, and while we encourage you to raise funds to help feed hungry families, we don't have a fundraising minimum.  From this site, you can register for the Hunger Walk, start or join a team, set a goal, and begin raising money in support of our cause! You can also donate to our fundraisers or search for other participants and donate toward their goals.  We look forward to seeing you at the Walk!Registration now open: http://www.westsidefoodbankca.org/

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AIRING SUNDAY OCTOBER 31, 2010 on the Southern California Experience with LaFern Cusack Airs every Sunday (5a-6a pst) on 710 ESPN Radio and Online: http://es.pn/9Usbxx

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Women of Topco Sales Go Topless. Desiree, Justina, Elizabeth, Cheryl and Miranda speak with LaFern Cusack about their new campaign Breast Cancer Awareness Month Women of Topco Sales Go Topless.

Several female Topco Sales employees took off their tops in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The diverse group of Tops Off participants represent several different company departments and assembled together to make a bold statement about a disease that impacts people from all walks of life.

(Photo Left Credit: Annalee, Marketing and Public Relations Department ).

The women posed together for dynamic group shots and individual portraits which can be seen in the Topco Sales Breast Cancer Awareness Photo Gallery. Many of the women are also posting the photos on their social networking sites and using them as a catalyst to stimulate interest and dialogue about breast cancer awareness.

“The idea came from similar breast cancer awareness campaigns. Several of us women became inspired to join together and do something in the same vein for such an important cause,” explains Desiree Duffie, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Topco Sales.

“When Desiree told me about what she and the other women wanted to do I gave them my full respect and support. It is a noble gesture and I hope people will be motivated by the Tops Off participants. Everyone should do what they can, whether it is a donation of time, money, or taking a few moments to help spread awareness about breast cancer—it is all beneficial to the cause,” says Scott Tucker, President and CEO of Topco Sales. Tucker is funding a small grant to the Los Angeles affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation on behalf of the participants.

Topco’s Tops Off participants who bared it for the photo shoot include: Alina, International Sales; Amy, Planning; Chinkee, Product Development; Cheryl, Private Label Sales; Desiree, Marketing and Public Relations; Liz, Domestic Sales; Justina, Product Development and Miranda, Product Development.

Liz comments, “I care about and support breast cancer awareness. I’m honored to have been surrounded by a wonderful group of women who came together for a great cause. I hope to inspire others to show their support as well.”

Chinkee says, “Taking my top off for this campaign was a huge step for me, but I did it for a great cause. I’m proud of what I did and I hope that everyone out there will help support this campaign like we Topco women did.”

For other participants, Tops Off is a way to encourage other women to be proactive in the fight against breast cancer. Cheryl states, “It was an opportunity to illustrate my belief that breast cancer is not taboo to discuss and that self examinations are important. It took some courage for me, since I’m not a model, but this is small in comparison to the bravery shown by people fighting breast cancer and searching for a cure.”

Some of the motivating factors were more personal. Justina says, “A dear friend was diagnosed earlier this year with breast cancer and she has been such an inspiration; her strength, her grace, and her beauty. I feel like this is an exceptionally small task I can do to help every amazing, beautiful woman prevent and beat this disease.”

Topco Sales encourages others within the industry to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and invites visitors to learn more at www.TopcoSales.us/BreastCancerAwareness

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Did You Miss Last Weeks Show?  Check out the podcasts HERE!
AIR DATE: 10/24/10: Andee Nathanson speaks with LaFern Cusack about how astrology could be used to get a better direction in one's life. Astrologer Andee Nathanson is opening her private practice to the greater community for the first time in thirty years. "Know Thyself" is one of the most important tools in life's journey. There are many paths to self discovery. Many choices at many junctures in the road. Astrology is one of them. To those who know, it's a science& A learning tool and a language. A good reading opens the door for you to see the bigger picture. And then we need a strategy. I can't imagine flying a plane or going to sea without the tools of navigation, and it's the same with our lives. No matter how successful we might be, things come up. If we can identify what they are and how long they'll last and how to process, it makes the journey a whole lot easier. Compasz has been set up to allow you the opportunity to get a look at the road ahead and help you on your way. For more information send an e mail: Compasz@me.com or http://www.compasz.com/ .

Did You Miss Last Weeks Show?  Check out the podcasts HERE!

AIR DATE: 10/24/10: Brian Sheridan and David Berek speak with LaFern Cusack about Paranormal activity at the Heritage Square Museum. For 40 years, people have claimed to hear, see and feel all manner of mysterious happenings at Heritage Square Museum. Whether it is the nature of the Victorian architecture, the historic furnishings and paintings on display or something all-together different, "ghost sightings" have occurred at the museum since its inception.

On October 24th, those "sightings" will be denied and or confirmed! In partnership with the International Community for Paranormal Investigation and Research (ICPIR), the results of the first paranormal investigation of the historic structures at Heritage Square will be released.

Led by David Berck, the local ICPIR researchers followed strict guidelines and rules during its investigation, attempting to rule out all things explainable that have a human or environmental influence. Using the scientific processes and deductive reasoning, the team used Digital and Film Cameras, Camcorders, EMF Detectors, Digital and Cassette Recorders, IR Thermometers and Motion Detectors to collect the data it will release on October 24th. Halloween Mourning Tours are on October 24th and 25th. From spiritualism to spirit photography, from death to daguerreotypes, this living history event gives participants an opportunity to experience the very different way Angelinos dealt with and experienced that loss of a loved one at the turn of the 20th Century.

For more information, call the museum offices from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 323-225-2700. Celebrating 41 Years of Preservation and Interpretation of the History of Southern California, Heritage Square is a living history museum dedicated to telling the story of the development of Los Angeles during its first 100 years of statehood. Eight rescued historic structures at the museum tell this story like no place else.

For further information, visit our website at http://www.heritagesquare.org/ .

For more information on the International Community for Paranormal Investigation and Research (ICPIR), visit http://www.icpir.org

RIP:Tim Nickel, SCCA Racer and Fresno Sheriff - Racers Who Care



Racers Who Care, Inc.'s
Nathan Swartzbaugh, ALMS Driver and Porsche Champion and Tim Nickel, SCCA Racer & Fresno Sheriff http://racerswhocare.org/ )

 "Tim passed away October 4, 2010. His memorial service will be held at the chapel at Peoples Church on October 16, 2010 at 10:00am. We would like to invite all of you to come and celebrate his life. Keep praying for peace and acceptance for his 3 kids." Joy Nickel

Tim Nickel
Via NickelMotorsports.com

Tim Nickel started driving racecars late in life by today's standards. At the age of eighteen he started racing sprint go-karts throughout the state of California. Having limited success in the short track ranks driving against future stars like Casey Mears and Kevin Harvick, Tim began focusing on the more powerful roadracing karts. Racing at tracks such as Laguna Seca, Sears Point, Las Vegas and Phoenix is where Tim found racing success.



In 1993 Tim qualified and was invited to race in the National Championships at Willow Springs Raceway. He ran as high as 5th but ended up in 8th place after suffering a flat tire late in the race. That same year, Tim led the Southern California regional points championship until a blown engine relegated him to third place overall on the last race of the season. Tim had earned the respect of his competitors and others in the racing community by consistently finishing in the top of his class.

1993 was the year Tim had decided to step away from racing until he was contacted by Bob Swenson of Vista, California. Mr. Swenson was developing a new racecar for a semi-pro racing series and offered Tim a test drive. That summer Tim returned to Willow Springs Raceway and got his test of the new World Sports Toyota. Due to a lack of funding,Tim never was able to put a deal together to compete in the racing series.

Tim stepped away from competitive racing for the last twelve years to concentrate on raising his family and starting his career with the Fresno Sheriff's Department.

A letter from Judy Strawn, Racers Who Care
10/5/2010

Dear All:

This is to bear very sad tidings to you, that our Tim Nickel has passed away after a very memorable year of fighting to stay alive as long as he possibly could.

Just a little over a year ago, he, his sister Lisa, Dominic Cicero, Nathan Swartzbaugh and I met for breakfast, had a great time with LaFern Cusack talking about Racers Who Care during an ESPN Radio interview, then had a super lunch together making RWC plans.

(Photo Left: Racers Who Care, Inc.'s Nathan Swartzbaugh; Judy Strawn; Lisa Nelson and Tim Nickel  California-based group of motorsports professionals dedicated to making a difference for our next generation. http://racerswhocare.org/

Click Links To Listen:

Racers Who Care on Southern California Experience with LaFern Cusack , ESPN Los Angeles:
http://bit.ly/RacersWhoCare-SEGI

http://bit.ly/RacersWhoCare-SEGII

Just a couple of weeks later, after making an RWC presentation to a group of children in Salinas, I received a message from Tim saying he was having some health issues and was very concerned and asking for prayers. Even after he had begun chemotherapy, Tim insisted in coming down to the Grand Prix of Long Beach in April to assist with RWC's three days of field trips!

Early in 2010, Tim joined RWC's Board of Directors, but as our Board meets once a year he hadn't had a chance to actually be part of one of our Board meetings yet.

RWC first encountered him in mid-2007, shortly after putting up our MySpace site. We got a short message from him saying: "I like your site." Of course, we followed up by inviting him to be part of Racers Who Care and he very enthusiastically responded and began recruiting other racers!

We will sorely miss him, and not long ago asked his sister, Lisa to tell him for us, that we expected him to be RWC's Guardian Angel when he got to heaven!

Cards, letters and flowers can be sent to his family at the following address:
The Nickel Family
2677 Sussex
Clovis, CA 93611

Airing Sunday October 3rd: The SoCal Experience with LaFern Cusack on ESPN Radio Los Angeles

Southern California Experience with LaFern Cusack

710 ESPN Radio Los Angeles
Sunday's 5a-6a PST or online live: http://es.pn/d5fqUI

Click Here To Listen Live Online: ESPN Los Angeles.com

THERE'S STILL TIME TO SEE  

ARNOLD McCULLER 

as he performs for the 2nd Annual Golf For Literacy, October 4th, at the Malibu Country Club.  Come for the DINNER AND AUCTION! For more information about sponsorships or advertisement opportunities please call 800-366 1375 ext 4613 or go to: http://www.golfforliteracy.org/

Monday, October 4th, 2010

AIRING SUNDAY OCTOBER 3rd

David Lindholm, Communications Manager, Chivas USA (MLS) speaks with LaFern Cusack about Chivas USA's support and dedication to the community, the SuperClasico and the energy that is rocking the Home Depot Center Sunday October 3 at 5:00pm. Chivas USA takes pride in supporting schools, non-profit organizations, and charitable groups.  Founded on August 2, 2004, as Major League Soccer's then-eleventh team, Los Angeles-based Club Deportivo Chivas USA has achieved remarkable success in their first few seasons of MLS play. Based at The Home Depot Center - a world-class soccer stadium and multi-sport facility located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in the city of Carson, Los Angeles County, California. Chivas USA invites all fans, players and supporters to celebrate the passion of the world's greatest sport. Additional information on Chivas USA is available by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1 (244-8271).  For tickets and more information: http://www.cdchivasusa.com/

Cindy Laverty, author of “Caregiving – Eldercare Made Clear & Simple” speaks with LaFern Cusack about caring for her ill and aging former father-in-law for several years.   Cindy Laverty discovered that compassionate caregiving was her true calling and formed The Care Company, a southern California-based home care provider.

Today, as a leading spokesperson for the industry, Ms. Laverty has expanded her commitment to helping caregivers help others, through her entertaining, educational and insightful advice driven radio show. Her warm, yet practical approach to the process of caregiving provides listeners with first step knowledge and resources they can use to manage their lives and those they care for more peacefully. 

The caregiving journey is one of life’s ultimate gifts, but if you don’t have a workable plan, you can easily become lost and overwhelmed. Caregiving – Eldercare Made Clear & Simple is a guide, which provides you with encouraging and practical information, as well as personal insight from Cindy Laverty’s own experiences about her journey to finally learn to care for herself, along with a CD of reprintable forms to help you create a workable plan for your unique situation. http://www.cindylavertyshow.com/  

Evelina Fernandez and Jose Luis Valenzuela speaks with LaFern Cusack about the Latino Theater Company’s 25th Anniversary production of "La Victima." The Latino Theater Company proudly presents its 25th Anniversary production, a revival of its very first show, “La Victima.”

It’s a story that spans four decades, telling the tale of two families, the Villas and the Mendozas. It begins during the Great Depression and continues through later troubled economic times. Immigrant families come to the U.S.A. to relieve the suffering of chronic poverty, to find employment, to work hard, to become educated, to fall in love, to get married, to build new homes and better lives for their loved ones. Some people arriving here do so through the established legal channels. Some get to the U.S.A. through alternate means.

Mexicans and Mexican-Americans find themselves in demand in the U.S. as a source of cheap, exploitable labor. But they find that they do not enjoy the same working conditions and job security as their neighbors. When the Latinos try to organize into unions to secure workers’ rights, they find themselves subject to reprisals, including deportation.

Some join the military, conjecturing that this may be a route to equality, though a disproportionate segment of their number emerge as casualties.  Most devastating to the Villa and Mendoza families is the inconsistently applied, inhumane immigration policy. It becomes even more apparent after one of their number becomes a U.S. government immigration enforcement agent.  At this point in the history of the U.S., immigration is still a hot-button issue, with certain political factions calling for the repeal of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship rights to those born on U.S. soil. Originally created in 1976 by the theater collective El Teatro De La Esperanza, “La Victima” couldn’t possibly be more timely.

Jose Luis Valenzuela, artistic director of the Latino Theater Company, directs the new production in the trademark Latino Theater Company style, infusing serious material with humor, music and big dance numbers. The show stars longtime company members J Ed Araiza, Evelina Fernandez, Sal Lopez, Lupe Ontiveros, Geoffrey Rivas and Lucy Rodriguez and also Luis Aldana, Alexia de la Rocha, Olivia Cristina Delgaro and Oliver Rayon. Choreography: Urbanie Lucero. Musicians: Cita, and Ricardo Ochoa. The action of the show includes scenes set in both the U.S.A. and Mexico. Consequently, while much of the show is in English, there will also be sequences performed in Spanish (and also Spanglish). The songs will also be performed in Spanish. Spanish sequences will be accompanied by English supertitles. The compelling immediacy of the subject matter contradicts the notion that this is not a brand-new work. That is how it is. WHERE: Los Angeles Theatre Center, in its 318-seat Theatre 3, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. WHEN: Runs through Sunday, October 31. Thurs. -  Sat. at 8, Sun. at 3. Dark on October 9. ADMISSION: $35. Seniors (60+) and students (with I.D.), $20. All Thursday performances $10. Preview on Oct 1; all seats $15. RESERVATIONS: Call toll-free, (866) 811-4111. GROUP SALES: (213) 489-0994 ext. 107. ONLINE TICKETING: www.thelatc.org

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AIRING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10th

Ben Guillory and Kimba Henderson speak with LaFern Cusack about “The Reckoning” World Premiere engagement of a new play.  Fresh from the announcement of its seven nominations for the NAACP Theatre Awards, the Robey Theatre Company presents a World Premiere play, “The Reckoning.”  “The Reckoning” was developed through the Robey Theatre Company Playwrights Program.  Robey Theatre Company is Los Angeles’ acclaimed African-American theatre company, presenting plays providing insight to the global Black experience. It was founded by Danny Glover and Ben Guillory.   

Kimba Henderson is the playwright. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she received fellowships from a Bill Cosby –sponsored Screenwriting Program and Paramount Pictures. Her previous plays include “Love Supreme” and “Women on the Verge.” She co-wrote the film “Last Call.” Ms. Henderson was associate producer of the Fountain Theater’s award-winning production of “YellowMan.”

Ben Guillory, the Robey Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, helms a cast that includes Terese Aiello, Dorian Christian Baucum, Tiffany Boone, Michael Harrity, Tanya Lane, Tarnue Massaquoi, Alex Morris, Toyin Moses, Kendrick Sampson and Jacob Sidney. Production stage manager: John Freeland, Jr. Costume design: Naila Aladdin Sanders. Sound design: Harry Lennix. Dramaturge: Dylan Southard.  Set design: John Paul Luckenback. Playwrights Program Instructor: Aaron Henne.Technical director: R. Scott Thompson.
WHAT: “The Reckoning.” World Premiere engagement of a new play.  WHO: Written by Kimba Henderson. Directed by Ben Guillory. Produced by the Robey Theatre Company in association with the Los Angeles Theatre Center.  WHERE: Los Angeles Theatre Center; Theatre #2; 514 So. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. WHEN: Runs through Sunday, October 24. Regular show times: Thurs.- Sat. at 8, Sun. at 3. Dark on Oct. 9. ADMISSION: $30. Students: $20. Previews: $15. A limited number of tickets will be available for each Thursday performance for $10. RESERVATIONS: Call toll-free, (866) 811-4111. GROUP SALES: (213) 489-0994 ext. 107. ONLINE TICKETING: www.thelatc.org  or http://robeytheatrecompany.com/

  

James Delay is Vice President of American Exhibitions, Inc., and speaks with LaFern Cusack about Mummies of the World which is a highly distinguished project that has been years in the making for AEI, working with 15 world-renowned museums in seven countries to bring to the U.S. a never-before-seen collection of mummies and related artifacts from South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Egypt. Its treasures include one of the oldest mummy infants ever discovered; a mummified family; a German nobleman discovered in the family crypt by descendants; and intentionally preserved Egyptian animal mummies. 

Delay is responsible for the company’s business development and operations. A veteran sales and marketing professional, he is also in charge of maintaining communications with museums, science centers, licensors and the American Exhibitions team of curators, scientists, designers and associates.Delay’s work has resulted in Mummies of the World, the largest traveling exhibition of mummies and related artifacts ever assembled, debuting in Los Angeles at the California Science Center on July 1, 2010.

Delay began researching this exhibition in 2007, following the German Mummy Project’s amazing rediscovery of 20 mummies within the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums (REM) in Mannheim, Germany.  He visited the REM in 2008, hoping to bring that extraordinary find to American audiences, and embarked on an amazing journey that culminates with the Mummies of the World premiere.  After Los Angeles, the exhibition will travel to several other major U.S. cities over the course of its three-year engagement.

For Delay, the real measure of success for this groundbreaking exhibition is the opportunity it represents for audiences to learn about history and culture, and to use modern science tools to bring the past and the modern day a little closer together.  The stories of these mummies are both unique and universal, and this exhibition brings their experiences of centuries ago into the present. He believes that this project is the most spectacular and important project of his career to date.  Delay was born in Huntington Station, N.Y., and resides in Boynton Beach, Fla.  Mummies of the World is a ticketed event and requires a timed-entry. Advance reservations are highly recommended. Tickets can be purchased online at www.californiasciencecenter.org  or by calling 323-SCIENCE (323-724-3623). 

 LOS ANGELES--The Mummies of the World exhibition, at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, welcomed its milestone 100,000th visitor on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010 - making it one of the most successful paid exhibit openings in the Science Centers 13-year history. The exhibition, which opened July 1, is open daily for a limited engagement. http://www.californiasciencecenter.org . James Medrano of Pomona, Calif., was notified of the benchmark achievement by California Science Center president Jeff Rudolph and Michael McDowell, Senior Director for Cultural Tourism for LA INC., the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. Pictured from left: Medrano's daughter, Camille Medrano, 15; Michael McDowell, Senior Director for Cultural Tourism for LA INC.; cousin Adrian Guerrero, 10; James Medrano; Medrano's son, Aiden, 11; and Jeff Rudolph, president, California Science Center.

LOS ANGELES --  James Medrano (pictured left) of Pomona, Calif., was notified of the benchmark achievement by California Science Center president Jeff Rudolph and Michael McDowell, Senior Director for Cultural Tourism for LA INC., the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau

James Medrano of Pomona, Calif., was notified of the benchmark achievement by California Science Center president Jeff Rudolph and Michael McDowell, Senior Director for Cultural Tourism for LA Inc., the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. Medrano and his family were given an exclusive guided tour of the exhibition by William Harris, the Science Centers vice president of development. Pictured from left: William Harris, vice president of development, California Science Center; family members and James Medrano, visitor number 100,000.  The exhibition, which opened July 1, is open daily for a limited engagement. http://www.californiasciencecenter.org