Local resident Anita Lawler, former chairwoman of Foothill Family’s board of directors, is being honored by the organization at its annual “Tip Your Cap & Pass the Hat” fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 22, at noon.
Foothill Family was founded in 1926 in Pasadena by trailblazing community volunteer Josephine Marsh, who “passed the hat” to help neighbors in need, according to a spokesperson.
“To honor this humble origin, we continue Josephine’s legacy by ‘passing the hat’ to raise critical funds to serve our clients through a friendly competition between teams,” a Foothill statement said. “We also continue the tradition of honoring our most gracious community leaders by tipping our caps and thanking them for their service to Foothill Family.
“Join friends, colleagues and community-minded peers as we pay tribute to a remarkable community leader, Anita Lawler, who has played a vital role in strengthening our communities by empowering families to seek success in their lives. Our ‘pass the hat’ challenge will raise necessary funds for Foothill Family’s growing services, which are vital to heal our communities.”
Lawler, a community leader and philanthropist, is the first Latina board chair in the organization’s 95-year history. She held several leadership roles for Foothill Family, including chair of the corporate relations committee, chair of the board affairs committee, chair of the executive committee and was a development and program committee member. She also chaired the capital campaign for the construction and improvements of the Duarte Center and participated in various fundraising and outreach projects. Lawler is also a founding member of the Friends of Foothill Family, a volunteer guild that fundraises for Foothill Family.
Professionally, Lawler has more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry, the majority of which were in executive management and leadership roles. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Loyola Marymount University and also holds a certificate of nonprofit management from Cal Poly Pomona.
“‘A strong leader, advocate and generous supporter of Foothill Family, Anita has made an enormous impact over the years with the agency and, in turn, the thousands of children and families that are empowered,” said Steve Allen, the organization’s CEO. “I feel honored to have worked closely with someone so passionate and authentic in her role as board member and more recently as board chair. A fierce champion for our youth, families and community, I cannot think of anyone more deserving than Anita to receive this year’s Pass the Hat Award for her outstanding services.”
Lawler resides in Altadena with her husband, Vince, and has been a caregiver to her father who suffered from Alzheimer’s, and currently to her adult nephew, who is autistic. She also regularly volunteers for Proyecto Pastoral, a nonprofit based in Boyle Heights, and the Altadena Library Foundation.
Local residents may participate in the Oct. 22 fundraiser in two ways: Host a team of family, friends and/or colleagues; or join an existing team and have the opportunity to meet new friends.
For more information, email the development department at donate@foothillfamily.org or call (626) 993-3636.
