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September 29, 2010 ■ News of local people and events A
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Woodside director screens ‘Tapestries of Hope’ “Tapestries of Hope,” a documentary on young rape survivors in Zimbabwe, directed by Michealene Cristini Risley of Woodside, will be screened simultaneously in more than 100 movie theaters nationwide on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Locally, a free screening will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Landmark Aquarius Theatre, 430 Emerson St. in Palo Alto. The public is invited to attend. The one-hour film focuses on the work done by activist Betty Makoni, founder of the Girl Child Network in Zimbabwe, which aims to empower and protect young women who were raped based on the false belief that sex with a virgin will cure HIV/AIDS, according to a “Tapestries of Hope” press release. Ms. Risley filmed the documentary in 2007. As a result of her filming, she was jailed, interrogated, and deported from Zimbabwe. She was freed with the help of the U.S. government and escaped with her film footage. In April of this year, Ms. Risley won Silicon Valley’s
Michealene Cristini Risley
Women of Influence Award. The screening is intended to raise awareness of the International Violence Against Women Act and encourage audience members to contact their representatives in Congress to support and fund the legislation, according to the press release. The screenings are sponsored by a coalition of international organizations, including Something to Talk About, Facebook, and Women Thrive Worldwide. The documentary is being distributed through the Screenvision cinema network. Go to tapestriesofhope.com for more information.
Church welcomes education leader Courtney Stange-Tregear is the new director of faith formation at Ladera Community Church in Portola Valley. Her mission is to build intergenerational participation in both worship and education, says Myrtle Carey, a spokesperson for the church. “As a mother of two young children, she has a personal interest in building faith from the ground up, and thinks Ladera Church provides a rich community in which to nourish spiritual life from young children to adults,” says Ms. Carey. Originally from the Bay Area, Ms. Stange-Tregear received her bachelor’s degree from St. Johnís College in Annapolis, Maryland; her master’s degree in research and philosophy of religion from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom; and her master of divinity degree in worship, theology and the arts from Andover Newton Theological School in Maine. For the past five years, she has served in Massachusetts as a youth minister and chaplain intern. Most recently, she was interim associate pastor at Foothills Congregational Church in
Courtney Stange-Tregear
Los Altos. “She brings a breadth of experience, an insightful mind, and a passion for nurturing spiritual life and practice for all ages,” says the Rev. Lindsay L. Fulmer, who came to the Ladera church as its first female pastor in October 2008. Ms. Stange-Tregear says that she sees her role as mentor and guide. “Faith is a task for a lifetime,” she says. “I will work with members of all ages as we pursue our calls to love, charity, spirituality and justice.” Ladera Community Church is at 3000 Alpine Road in Ladera. Go to ladera.org for more information.
Katie, 11, and her mom, Stanford oncologist Dr. Ellie Guardino.
11-year-old raises $25,000 for mom Money goes to Komen Foundation to fight breast cancer This story was submitted by Samantha Lieberman of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate.
Katie helped care for her mom as she struggled through her cancer treatments. On Sunday, Sept. 26, Katie and her mom walked in the Susan G. Komen Race for the leven-year-old Menlo Park resident Katie Cure in San Francisco, a 5K walk and run Guardino knows a lot about cancer. She to raise funds for breast cancer research and has grown up with a mom who fights treatment. About 7,000 people participated and breast cancer for a living. Katie was the No. 1 fundraiser. Katie’s mother, Stanford oncologist Dr. Ellie Katie sent out letters to friends, family memGuardino, helps patients extend their lives bers and teachers with a picture of her and her through advanced treatments and breast can- mom, and received more than $25,000 in donacer clinical trials. She fights for the cure in her tions in support of her walk. The donations lab, where she and other specialists develop continue to roll in. vaccines to target specific immunological gene Katie and her mom were dressed in pink at therapies for patients. Sunday’s walk, walking hand in hand. Katie’s One of her specialties is helping young breast experience writing all those letters to patients cancer patients with future fertility. Dr. Guar- prepared her for the individual thank you notes dino wants every womshe has written to each an to have the chance to and every donor. experience parenthood “Adults always tell Nothing could have been more of a as she has with Katie kids that life is not surprise in 2008 to Katie or her family fair,” Katie wrote. “I and her two brothers. She has helped believe that now. My when her mom received her own patients successfully Mom sees patients all diagnosis of Stage 3 melanoma. harvest their eggs and day, works in her lab on make embryos before the weekends, writes they start chemothergrant requests at night apy and radiation so they have the option of after she tucks me and my brothers in bed, and becoming moms in the future. Many of Dr. SHE gets cancer??! I hope the money I raised Guardino’s young patients have been blessed will help my Mom and her patients through the with children after their breast cancer fight. Race for the Cure.” Katie has written hundreds of letters to cheer up her mom’s patients over the years, and has Go to komensf.org for more information. To conhelped her mom on the weekends, visiting tribute to Katie’s drive, make out the checks to patients and helping out in mom’s lab. the Komen Foundation, and mail them to Katie Nothing could have been more of a surprise Guardino c/o Dr. Ellie Guardino, Stanford Canin 2008 to Katie or her family when her mom cer Center, 875 Blake Wilbur Blvd., Stanford, CA received her own diagnosis of Stage 3 melanoma. 94305. Or go online to is.gd/fw8KV.
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