Dozens of donors attended the event to support the SEA Program
The Emily Shane Foundation held its annual fundraiser last week at Sorenity Rocks at Cross Creek, where dozens of donors enjoyed an evening of wine, crystal healing stations, and an opportunity to donate to the Successful Educational Achievement (SEA) Program.
Every year, the foundation holds its annual fundraisers to help support the SEA Program. With this year’s theme, “Crystallizing Success,” the foundation’s “Pass it Forward” motto encourages kindness and social consciousness as each student performs one good deed per session with their mentor/tutor. Mentors and tutors are all university students or recent graduates.
Sponsored by Malibugives and TransformativePlay.org, the event featured local businesses and local Malibu wines from Malibu Solstice, Sura, and Hoyt Family Vineyards.
Executive Director Ellen Shane thanked and acknowledged Sorenity Rocks owner Lenise Soren for organizing the event at her store at Cross Creek.
“Without hesitating, she said, ‘Let’s do it at my store,'” Shane said. “She had a crew, she set this whole thing up. She’s amazing.”
Soren said she was honored to host the Emily Shane Foundation at her store.
“Before I knew Ellen, I looked at Emily’s name all the time and felt her spirit, and I had to meet you,” Soren said.
Speakers included Kumari Bilings, a tutor from the SEA Program.
“I really like the way that it’s very focused on the wholistic and the entirety of each student, and through the good deeds of the program; I feel like I see the students completely blossom,” Billings said. “I’m just really excited for everything that the SEA Program does, and I’m excited to see us expand and continue to help more students.”
Parent Jenni Ogden said the program was a lifesaver for her daughter Jacara.
“She didn’t really have a good foundation in her education,” Ogden said. “She’s great, she’s thriving, she graduated high school. She’s 24 now, but I don’t know how she would’ve made it out of the sixth grade without the program, all of it — the mentoring, the tutoring, it really made a world of difference.”
Ellen and Michel Shane created the 501(c)3 nonprofit charity, The Emily Shane Foundation, in 2011, just one year after the tragic murder of their youngest child, Emily, in 2010. Through passion and a commitment to helping others, they remain dedicated to shaping the lives and futures of less fortunate middle schoolers. The foundation serves as a way to keep Emily’s memory and values alive.
Michel Shane has spent the last three decades of his career as a venerable entrepreneur, with the intuition and foresight to perceptively spot trends before they go mainstream in the film and consumer spheres.
He recently produced a film, “21 Miles in Malibu,” where he exposes the dangers of the Pacific Coast Highway.
To learn more about the foundation, visit emilyshane.org.