YMCA of Orange County to Honor Marge Hearn; Wife of the Legendary 'Voice of the Lakers' Will Receive Special Recognition for Her Generous Role in Creating the Chick Hearn Legacy Memorial Fund for the YMCA of Orange County.

TUSTIN, Calif. -- Marge Hearn, wife of the late and legendary Los Angeles Lakers radio and television broadcaster Chick Hearn, will be honored by the YMCA of Orange County Community Services (YCS) Branch at the 31st Annual Reach Out Awards Sept. 29 at the Costa Mesa Hilton.

Marge Hearn will receive Special Recognition at the annual awards dinner and gala for her generous role in the establishment of the Chick Hearn Legacy Memorial Fund. In celebration of the life of her late husband, the "Voice of the Lakers," Marge Hearn will speak during the event about the purpose and future of the newly established fund.

"We are proud and deeply touched that Marge Hearn has chosen to remember her husband by creating this unique fund for the YMCA," said Kristen Thompson, Executive Director of the YMCA Community Services Branch. "The Lakers continue to be an inspiration to children county-wide and closer ties between our organizations and this link to Chick Hearn's legacy will help us reach many more at-risk kids with programs that build character, inspire confidence, and encourage life-long fitness."

The connection between the YMCA and basketball is a long one, spanning from the game's invention in 1891 at the International YMCA training school by physical education teacher James Naismith, who hung peach baskets and 13 rules on a wall, to the Y's Jr. Lakers program that has taught Southern California kids basketball skills, in an environment that emphasizes teamwork, fairness and fun, for the past several decades. The Lakers No. 1 draft pick this season, Jordan Farmar of UCLA, is an alumnus of the YMCA Jr. Lakers program.

Marge Hearn will be one of three honorees at the event, joining Arnold J. Kleiner, President and General manager of ABC7, who will receive the Community Partnership Reach Out Award, and David Lamb, a Newport Beach resident and Vice Chairman of the YMCA of Orange County's Board of Directors, who will receive the John and Donna Crean Reach Out Award.

About the Reach Out Awards

For more than 30 years, the Reach Out Awards have honored individuals and organizations that have "reached out" to help the neediest and most underserved children and families in Orange County. The Reach Out Awards gala is also the biggest annual fundraiser for the YMCA Community Services (YCS) Branch and supports the critical programs YCS provides to the highest risk and most vulnerable segments of the population. These unique programs include healthy eating and living education and obesity prevention for children, impacting over 3,000 children in Fullerton and Santa Ana; health access, education, referrals, counseling and developmental assessments for over 2,000 children; mentors, tutors and educational enrichment activities for over 400 foster youth and 300 at-risk youth; respite care for over 400 foster parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities; socialization and recreation programs/camps for over 325 people with developmental disabilities; weekly bereavement support for parents and children; and family counseling for over 200 low-income children and families. The "Kid Healthy" Steps to Healthy Living campaign led by ABC7 reached over 35,000 students who committed to taking 10,000 steps and eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day for a more active and healthy lifestyle.

The special focus of the 31st Annual Reach Out Awards will be the many programs and partnerships supported by YCS that are designed to combat the obesity epidemic afflicting Orange County children. These collaborative efforts include the Fitness Counts! Program, dedicated to teaching physical education curricula to local teachers, and the Kid Healthy: Steps to Healthy Living campaign to promote awareness of healthy active lifestyles and healthy habits to families and communities. YCS and the YMCA of Orange County are also the lead agencies in several innovative and cutting-edge community partnerships, including Activate America, Active Living by Design and Healthy Eating by Design.

The Reach Out Awards will begin at 6 p.m. and include a delectable banquet-style dinner and a live auction with an abundance of unique items. The gala evening will close with dancing until 11:00 PM. Although the event attracts a capacity crowd each year, a few seats are still available for a donation of $110 per plate. Contact Amanda Armington for more information at 714-838-0181 x109 or [e-mail].

For more information about the YMCA Community Services Branch and volunteer opportunities in Orange County please visit our web site at www.ymcaoc.org/branches/community_service.php.