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YMCA of Orange County to Honor David Lamb; Newport Beach Resident and Founding Partner in the Stratham Group of Companies Will Be Recognized for His Longtime Volunteer Service

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 September 2006, 15:01 CDT

Newport Beach resident David Lamb, a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Orange County, will sail away with the top volunteer honor awarded by the nonprofit organization's Community Services Branch (YCS) at the 31st Annual Reach Out Awards, to be held Sept. 29 at the Costa Mesa Hilton.

Lamb, an avid sailor and director of the Lido Isle Sailing Foundation, will receive the John and Donna Crean Reach Out Award at the annual awards gala at the elegant South Coast Plaza area hotel. Lamb has been a member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Orange County since 1994, and the past several years served as Vice Chairman. He was past Chairman of the Newport/Costa Mesa YMCA and has received the "Distinguished Service Award" for his volunteer work at each of these YMCAs. Lamb was also responsible for providing early financial support to the YMCA Community Counseling programs that eventually became the Community Services Branch.

"David Lamb has given so much to the kids and families that the YMCA serves in Orange County and his clear vision of their needs helped get Community Services off the ground," said Kristen Thompson, Executive Director of the YMCA Community Services Branch. "His many years of service stand as a powerful role model and inspiration for anyone who wants to make a real difference in the community."

A past president of the Corona del Mar High Super Booster Board, Lamb will be one of three honorees at the September 29th dinner and gala, joining ABC7 President and General Manager Arnold J. Kleiner, who will receive the Community Partnership Reach Out Award, and Marge Hearn, who will receive special recognition for her generosity in creating the Chick Hearn Legacy Memorial Fund.

In celebration of the life of her late husband, the "Voice of the Lakers," Marge Hearn will make a special announcement during the event regarding the purpose and future of the newly established Chick Hearn Legacy Memorial Fund. The connection between the YMCA and basketball is a long one, spanning from the game's invention in 1891 at the International YMCA training school by physical education teacher James Naismith, who hung peach baskets and 13 rules on a wall, to the Y's Jr. Lakers program that has taught Southern California kids basketball skills, in an environment that emphasizes teamwork, fairness and fun, for the past several decades.

About the Reach Out Awards

For more than 30 years, the Reach Out Awards have honored individuals and organizations that have "reached out" to help the neediest and most underserved children and families in Orange County. The Reach Out Awards gala is also the biggest annual fundraiser for the YMCA Community Services (YCS) Branch and supports the critical programs YCS provides to the highest risk and most vulnerable segments of the population. These unique programs include healthy eating and living education and obesity prevention for children, impacting over 3,000 children in Fullerton and Santa Ana; health access, education, referrals, counseling and developmental assessments for over 2,000 children; mentors, tutors and educational enrichment activities for over 400 foster youth and 300 at-risk youth; respite care for over 400 foster parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities; socialization and recreation programs/camps for over 325 people with developmental disabilities; weekly bereavement support for parents and children; and family counseling for over 200 low-income children and families. The "Kid Healthy" Steps to Healthy Living campaign led by ABC7 reached over 35,000 students who committed to taking 10,000 steps and eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day for a more active and healthy lifestyle.

The special focus of the 31st Annual Reach Out Awards will be the many programs and partnerships supported by YCS that are designed to combat the obesity epidemic afflicting Orange County children. These collaborative efforts include the Fitness Counts! Program, dedicated to teaching physical education curricula to local teachers, and the Kid Healthy: Steps to Healthy Living campaign to promote awareness of healthy active lifestyles and healthy habits to families and communities. YCS and the YMCA of Orange County are also the lead agencies in several innovative and cutting-edge community partnerships, including Activate America, Active Living by Design and Healthy Eating by Design.

The Reach Out Awards will begin at 6 p.m. and include a delectable banquet-style dinner and a live auction with an abundance of unique items. The gala evening will close with dancing until 11:00 PM. Although the event attracts a capacity crowd each year, a few seats are still available for a donation of $110 per plate. Contact Amanda Armington for more information at 714-838-0181 x109 or aarmington@ymcaoc.net.

For more information about the YMCA Community Services Branch and volunteer opportunities in Orange County please visit our web site at www.ymcaoc.org/branches/community_service.php.

Source: Business Wire

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