Event honors L.A. DA

by Monique Jimenez
Staff Writer

The 4th annual Healing the Heart for Project SISTER, held on April 22 at the Sheraton Suites Fairplex, gathered approximately 200 people to honor L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley and the Assistance League of Covina.

Healing the Heart 2004 is an annual dinner and awards celebration put on by the Pomona-based sexual assault crisis and prevention services. Project SISTER has been celebrating this event for the past four years.

The mission of this event and of Project SISTER is to give hope and dignity to sexual assault and child abuse survivors.

The event gathered people in many different communities from Southern California in support of what Project SISTER does as well as whom Project SISTER serves.

“There was so much time and energy put into this event, and I believe that it will be an excellent evening,” said development director of Project SISTER Diane Case.

Marian Last, co-founder of Project SISTER, was the master of ceremonies and welcomed everybody to the event and kept the evening proceeding with a bit of humor to lighten the mood along with the severity of the issues everyone was gathered for.

Edward Cortez, mayor of Pomona, led everyone in an opening prayer and blessed the evening before dinner was served. A moment of silence was also taken in remembrance of California Highway Patrol Officer Thomas Steiner who was recently shot in Pomona.

Through Healing the Heart 2004, Project SISTER is also able to honor individuals or groups who support and contribute to the overall success and advancement of services for Project SISTER.

Healing the Heart 2004 also included a silent auction to raise funds for support of Project SISTER and the many different programs they operate.

“The silent auction was a huge success for us this year, it took a lot of work, but in the end the support we can give through it only helps us,” administrative assistant Carolyn Dominguez said.

This year, the Justice Armand Arabian Award, was received by Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and the Founders Award was given to the Assistance League of Covina Valley.

Both awards were given to highlight the work and dedication by the two honorees, their contribution to Project SISTER, what the organization represents and those who the organization supports.

“Overall I feel we honored the work that contributes to the greater good of what we are trying to achieve through all we do at Project SISTER,” executive director of Project SISTER, Linda Shestock said. “We honor for the dedication and the work done that we felt is really making a change for the better.”