The Soroptimists International of Big Bear Valley gathered at Northwoods on Thursday, to thank their three Man About Town candidates—Paul Ortuno, Phil Hamilton and Ace Evers—who together raised over $72,000. “This was really a surprise,” Soroptimist President Helen Walsh told those at yesterday’s luncheon. “We were so excited! Thank you to the community, who supports us in all we do, and our three candidates: Phil, Ace and Paul. For them, it was all about raising money for our project.” That project is to spend the next three years working to eradicate teen violence, including bullying, in our community. As Man About Town Ortuno said of the effort, “My job is to keep talking to people, getting them interested and motivated. Let’s keep this thing going!” Ortuno also made a point of thanking Evers and Hamilton, while the Soroptimists made a point of thanking each of their wives (Joyce Ortuno, Elaine Evers and Sue Hamilton) and the event’s co-chairs, Jane LaBarre and Dottie Suhr. With a solid amount of donations in place, President Walsh said, “Our work starts now; now we hit the ground running. Though we can’t say what we are doing yet, trust me when I say we will complete our project and we’ll have programs in place for parents and teachers to help them with bullying and teen violence. You know Soroptimists—we’ll get it done.”
