A Lagunan lending a hand

Sandy Thornton first heard about Joe while she was attending a

benefit where the mayor of Laguna Beach admired the “Lagunans helping

Lagunans.” Soon Lagunans will come together again to honor

10-year-old Joey Masella who has a rare skin disorder called

epidermolysis bullosa.

Led by “the other Sandy,” Laguna Beach volunteer Sandy St. John,

Thornton has spent the last three weeks helping to organize a benefit

for Joe to honor and celebrate his life and strength. The event to be

held at [seven-degrees] on Aug. 22 will raise money to support Joe’s

family and provide for his comfort.

Among features such as good food, a silent auction and dancing,

the benefit will be swinging to the music of former Stray Cat Lee

Rocker and his band.

“The help and advice of so many people was necessary to make this

event happen with only three weeks preparation time,” Thornton said.

“Jimmy from a music store in Laguna called Sound Spectrum told us

that if we wanted to organize a successful benefit, we were going to

need a killer band.”

Volunteer work has been a part of Thornton’s life since the 1970s

when she moved to Laguna and joined the PTA at her children’s

elementary school. After their graduation she became the director of

SchoolPower, the fund-raising arm of the Laguna Unified School

District, and later she was co-director of the Laguna Beach Chamber

of Commerce.

For years Thornton and Sandy St. John worked together raising

money and helping out with many causes -- earning them the nickname

of “The Sandies.” Thornton has taken a bit of a hiatus recently and

the Joey Masella benefit marks her return to Laguna fund-raising.

Working with children seems to hold a special place in Thornton.

Having raised children, she realizes the importance of the attention

they get.

“The support that Laguna residents give to causes like Joey’s

illness amazes me,” she said. “They step up when they are needed and

are very generous with their time and money. I haven’t met a person

yet who has a selfish attitude. They really want to help in any way

they can.”

Thornton is working to plan the benefit for Joe as an up-beat

celebration to honor an extraordinary child.

“The event is not only for Joe, but also for his family who might

need to feel a great deal of hope around them so that they may

project it around Joe,” she said. “Hope is everything in one’s health

because if you lose it you lose yourself. It’s amazing how the mind

works.”

* HEATHER STRUCK is an intern for the Coastline Pilot. She write

features and gathers news information.