Event Will Honor Volunteerism Leaders

Olympic gold medalist Rafer Johnson and eight other community volunteer leaders will be recognized Saturday for their commitment to helping others.

At the event, titled “Share the Care,” representatives from 21 area volunteer organizations will set up booths throughout Northridge Fashion Center to provide information for those interested in giving of their time, coordinator Lyn Tobman said.

KCBC news anchor Julia Yarbough, a volunteer at the USC Norris Cancer Institute, will emcee a ceremony honoring Johnson and eight others, including two local youths.

“Through this event, we are asking citizens to give back and help out by making a commitment to the community,” Tobman said.

A resident of Sherman Oaks, Johnson will be recognized for helping mentally and physically handicapped children through the California Special Olympics.

Chatsworth High School seniors Erica Clemens and Scott De Simone will be honored for their community efforts. Clemens, who serves as a volunteer at the Chatsworth Library, is involved in collecting food for the homeless and raising money for the Salvation Army. De Simone, a volunteer at Mason Park, is active in church and school activities.

Other volunteers being honored are Brother John Crowe, executive director of Rancho San Antonio home for boys in Chatsworth; Gail Lippner, of TreePeople in Studio City; Linda Montanez, Friends of the Valley in San Fernando; Jim Morrow, Children of the Night in Van Nuys; Steve Brown, M.E.N.D. (Meet Each Need With Dignity) in Panorama City, and Ellie Vargas, Los Angeles Police Department, West Valley Division in Reseda.

Co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times Valley Edition and the Daily News in conjunction with Northridge Fashion Center, Saturday’s event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, contact the mall at (818) 885-9700.