By Bella Kim
The Youth Center’s month-long One Grand Project came to a close on Friday, March 31. Fundraisers celebrated the campaign’s success at Rush Park Center for a Casino Night of gambling, food, and fun. This was The Youth Center’s 27th Annual Community Support Campaign and Casino Night. The fundraiser provides youth programs and scholarships to the families of Los Alamitos and surrounding communities.
With 471 donors, the One Grand Project raised $173,200. Including the money raised at Casino Night, The Youth Center raised a total of $200,007.
“The Youth Center is a fun and safe place for kids to hang out, improve their academic skills, and learn new leadership skills,” said Amanda Hernandez, Fundraising Coordinator. “For over 70 years, The Youth Center has never turned down a scholarship for a child in need. Donations allow The Youth Center the ability to provide for at-risk youth.”
The campaign began on March 1 with a kick-off party at 2023 Campaign Chair Brian Leibl’s house. Guests enjoyed tacos, drinks, desserts, and a raffle drawing.
Leibl and his wife Christine live in Rossmoor, and their three kids have graduated from Los Alamitos High School. He is a partner in a Private Equity Group for Aerospace Metal Finishing, the company he’s spent his career running. A six-year member of the Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LAEF) board of directors, Leibl was a donor in last year’s fundraiser and gladly agreed to be this year’s Campaign Chair.
His goal as 2023 Campaign Chair was to beat previous Campaign Chair Tom Lent’s record of $200K. Leibl led the charge by personally raising over $13,000.
“I’ve reached out to my community, to all my friends and people that have supported me, and talked about the highlights of the Youth Center: what it does for our area and underserved children in other communities,” Leibl said. “I didn’t realize until I got really involved with this how much The Youth Center reaches out beyond our borders, of Los Al, Rossmoor, and Seal Beach.”
Each week, Leibl sent messages to campaigners, thanking them for their participation and letting them know he appreciates them.
“I think all the campaigners have done an incredible job,” Leibl said last Tuesday.
“I do believe we are going to reach our goal of $200K because we have an amazing support system of people who genuinely care about the wellbeing of our children and community,” said Hernandez on Friday morning, when The Youth Center had raised $135,232 of their $200K goal.
The “Denim and Diamonds”-themed Casino Night to celebrate the end of the fundraiser took place at Rush Park Center. Youth Center staff and board members, community leaders, sponsors, volunteers, fundraisers, and donors were present at the event. The room was filled with cards and dice; gambling tables; and guests decked out in their best-bedazzled jean jackets, boots, cowboy/girl hats, and bling.
Volunteers served drinks, appetizers, and desserts, and there was a wine-tasting table by New Zealand Wine Navigator. Music, laughter, and cheers filled the room as guests played blackjack, craps, poker, and roulette. Casino Night guests bought raffle tickets to win prizes and placed bids on silent auction items.
Mary Hollen, Seal Beach Lions Club Secretary, and her husband Steve support this event every year. Hollen is also working with the committee for the Youth Center’s new building.
“We’re excited about that happening. I think [this is] a great event, lots of fun and hopefully lots of support for The Youth Center,” Hollen said.
Tom Stretz, former CEO of The Youth Center, has fundraised for this campaign since 1995. His granddaughter is a freshman at Los Alamitos High School. Although Stretz is now retired, he still supports The Youth Center and its kids.
“I believe that what the Youth Center does adds to young people’s lives, and I couldn’t just retire and leave them alone,” Stretz said. “If they need some advice, I’m there to help. If they need support financially, I’ll help them get that support.”
Toward the end of the night, Leibl, Lumme, and Maryam Guirao, Director of Development, spoke to thank guests and emphasize the importance of the campaign in helping kids. They encouraged everyone to keep gambling and donating, as they were about $7,000 away from beating Lent’s record. To thank Leibl for his stellar leadership, The Youth Center named a constellation after him: the Brian Leibl star.
“Together, with 100 campaign volunteers and [the] leadership of Brian Liebl, we were able to reach our goal,” said Lina Lumme, The Youth Center’s CEO.
“This is something that makes our community so special. Everybody comes together for this common cause: helping kids and developing great leaders of the future. It’s not just central to [the] Los Al school district, it’s really central to our community,” Leibl said.
“On behalf of all the children and families we serve, thank you so much for everyone who supported One Grand Project,” Lumme said. “We are excited for the future and for all the programs and scholarships we can provide because of generous people in our community.”
Casino Night 2023 Sponsors: Southland Credit Union, SA Recycling, Optum, Smith & Severson Builders, Edward Jones, Cal Custom Interiors, Rossmoor Community Services District, New Zealand Wine Navigator, Sun Newspapers, Event-News Enterprise, Grocery Outlet, Chick-fil-A, Maderas Steakhouse, Mama’s, Borsh Deli, and more.
