A Night of Inspiration: Summa Children's Foundation Honors USC Coach Pete Carroll for Anti-Gang Initiatives

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:11:30 GMT

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 29 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly 900 people gathered on the evening of April 23rd for the Summa Children's Foundation's second annual gala, with a star-studded audience raising nearly $750,000 to honor USC football coach Pete Carroll and his non-profit organization A Better LA, for its work against gang violence. Actors Goldie Hawn, Henry Winkler and Sidney Poitier and sports legend Bruce Jenner joined in honoring Carroll.

"A Better LA is proud to partner with the Summa Children's Foundation," said Carroll in accepting the group's honor. "Every day we strive to raise awareness and funds to bring hope and real alternatives to those who may otherwise turn to gangs as a way of life. Thank you for being a part of the solution."

"A Night of Inspiration" lived up to its name, with celebrity figures from the entertainment industry and sports worlds, as well as law enforcement, participating in the event. The event was a tremendous success for the three-year-old Summa Children's Foundation, founded by Los Angeles natives Jim Miles and Brian Werdesheim and dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children in Los Angeles.

Noted civil rights attorney Connie Rice reminded the assembled guests that gang violence touches everyone in Los Angeles, and everyone has a role to play in finding and implementing solutions to the growing problem. "We cannot and should not rely on government and law enforcement alone to solve this problem," said Rice. "With your attendance tonight, with your contribution to the Summa Children's Foundation, you have accepted your responsibility to be part of this community's solution to gang violence."

Mixing lighthearted entertainment with the serious message of abating Los Angeles' gang problem, guests were treated to a video made by comedian Will Ferrell and live performances by singer Michael Bolton and Debbie Allen's dance troupe.

"While Pete Carroll may be best known for his victories on the field, his true success lies in his work to end gang-related violence affecting the inner-city communities of South Los Angeles," said Summa Children's Foundation co-founder Brian Werdesheim, an Executive Director within the Private Client Group at financial services company Oppenheimer & Co. "By allowing us to honor him tonight, Coach Carroll is helping to spread the word about how all of us can help find a solution to gang violence in Los Angeles. Summa Children's Foundation will give half of all of the proceeds we raise tonight to A Better LA, which has proven through action that we can solve the problem."

Summa Children's Foundation co-founder Jim Miles was pleased with the turnout and the funds raised at the event. "Our goal was to bring visibility to A Better LA and some other organizations we will fund this year, while inspiring current and future generations of philanthropists to give more of their time and money to children and youth in need," he said. "We have exceeded our own expectations, allowing us to increase the impact that non-profit organizations have in their communities. We look forward to continuing to partner with them throughout the years."

Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the event was underwritten by Oppenheimer and The Summa Group.

ABOUT THE SUMMA CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION

Founded by Los Angeles natives and asset managers Jim Miles and Brian Werdesheim, Summa Children's Foundation (SCF) supports community efforts that assist the youth of Los Angeles and throughout Southern California, with particular focus on health, social and educational development. Funds raised through SCF initiatives are awarded to selected area nonprofits with proven track records in transforming lives and futures. Funding has previously been awarded to the Lili Claire Foundation, Camp Harmony, the American Red Cross, the Richstone Family Center, and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

For more information about the Summa Children's Foundation, please visit their website at www.summakids.org.

ABOUT A BETTER LA

Co-founded by Pete Carroll, A Better LA mobilizes the knowledge and skills of the community to inspire each person to dream, work and play without fear. A Better LA is committed to supporting Los Angeles communities in their goal to reduce violence by empowering change in South Los Angeles.

For more information about A Better LA, please visit their website at www.abetterla.com.

All trademarks acknowledged.

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, A Better LA, Summa Childrens Foundation

Sports Entertainment a Lively Business for Latkovski Brothers

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:00:00 GMT

BirdZerk! and ZOOperstars! perform at venues and special events around the country and the world. Dominic and Brennan Latkovski have plans for much more

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Apr. 24 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Dominic and Brennan Latkovski are entertainers at heart. The brothers are the brains behind BirdZerk! and ZOOperstars!, both popular traveling sports entertainment shows that perform at venues across the United States and the world. So it was no surprise that they decided to make their afternoon at Wrigley Field one to remember a few years ago.

The duo, in town for a performance that night, was excited about watching a Cubs-White Sox game. Since they were at Wrigley Field, they brought a costume that fans of the Friendly Confines would truly appreciate. ZOOperstars! features a troupe of characters named after famous sports figures. On this day, Dominic went into a bathroom and changed into Harry Canary, a tall and portly singing bird adorned with Coke bottle glasses and cotton-white hair.

*(Photo Caption: - Clammy Sosa (far right front), Harry Canary (far right back) and Cow Ripken (third row, far left) are three of the ZOOperstars! 32 characters. Dominic and Brennan Latkovski are the brains behind the ZOOperstars, which is the nation's most popular traveling mascot entertainment show that appears at sports venues and other events.)

As Harry Canary, Dominic took his seat next to Brennan along the right field line, to the delight of fans throughout the ballpark. Cheers soon turned into boos when security guards led Dominic away in handcuffs after they told him no costumes were allowed inside Wrigley Field. A flustered Dominic was held in a holding tank beneath the center field stands until he was released, instructed never to return. Brennan was shown the exit gate as well.

It was the only time Dominic can recall that Harry Canary, or any of the multitude of characters that compose the ZOOperstars! and BirdZerk! shows, were not warmly embraced by those who encountered them.

BirdZerk! - an act that includes the feathery namesake character and his sidekicks, the inflatable Zerk! Jr., BallZerk! and BabyZerk! - performs about 60 shows a year. ZOOperstars - which feature 32 inflatable characters with amusing names like Tiger Woodschuck, Whale Gretzky, Mia Hammster, Shaquille O'Seal and Clammy Sosa - make more than 200 appearances annually. They perform at Major League and Minor League baseball parks, NBA and minor league basketball games, NHL and minor league hockey matches and an assortment of college sports among other events.

Long before the entrepreneurial brothers were building the nation's most popular sports entertainment company, they developed an interest in performing as mascots. Dominic was his high school's mascot before attending Bellarmine University, where he played soccer and attended a tryout for Billy Bird, the mascot of the Triple-A Louisville Redbirds.

Dominic performed as Billy Bird while continuing his studies at Bellarmine. A class project spurred the idea for the venture that would later become BirdZerk!

Heeding his professor's advice, Dominic pursued the Billy Bird idea, which involved performing at minor league baseball games with Billy Bird and his sidekicks. Billy Bird & Company was born, with Dominic serving as Billy Bird and Brennan filling the role of a sidekick. Brennan, who is 35, played soccer at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. He had performed as a radio station moose and the Kentucky State Fair Bear.

Billy Bird & Company was such a success that, after earning his degree, Dominic decided the group should attend the 1992 baseball winter meetings, which was fortunately held in Louisville. Dominic invested $6,000 hoping that his presence would result in at least four bookings at $1,500 per appearance. The first year, they did 48 shows.

In 1993, Billy Bird & Company debuted. To create a character of their own, Dominic and Brennan left Billy Bird behind and debuted BirdZerk! in 1995.

With its hijinks with players and coaches, humorous harassment of umpires and interaction with the crowd, BirdZerk! became a hit. Bookings increased in each of the first three years. Eventually, Dominic and Brennan added an inflatable character sidekick to BirdZerk!, which led to an idea that transformed the brothers' operation into the country's premiere sports entertainment company.

"My father kept suggesting that we change BirdZerk! to a character he called Harry Canary," Brennan said. "Since BirdZerk! was popular and already established, we didn't want to eliminate him, but we saw an opportunity with Harry Canary," he added. "We decided to make him an inflatable character. At a restaurant one night, we sat down and brainstormed for names of other characters."

Ken Giraffey Jr., Shark McGwire and Cow Ripken resulted from that session, as did the framework for ZOOperstars!, which debuted in 1998. ZOOperstars! has performed at sporting events and other events throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Indonesia. Future plans include performing at festivals and fairs, filming a TV show and producing a DVD.

"We have carved a niche in the sports entertainment industry, and we think we have just barely scratched the surface," Dominic said. "Harry Canary and the rest of us are ready to take the next step."

Text provided by an agency, Write Perceptions PR, on behalf of the news source.
PHOTO LINK: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/07-0424-Zooperstars_72dpi.jpg