The Mountain View-Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Challenge Team’s 35th annual Champions for Youth fundraising breakfast is scheduled 7:30-9 a.m. Thursday at Michaels at Shoreline, 2960 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View.
The MVLA Challenge Team brings together leaders from school districts, city and county services, parent and student groups, and other nonprofit organizations to serve youth and strengthen the community.
The in-person event – the first since the pandemic – will recognize Jeff Baier, retiring Los Altos School District superintendent, as the Adult Champion. Sydney Fung, a senior at Mountain View High School who promotes inclusivity through endeavors such as spearheading Mental Health Awareness Week, is this year’s Youth Champion.
Los Altos Police Chief Andy Galea and retiring Alta Vista High School principal Bill Pierce, who are both retiring, also will be recognized at the event.
Aria Rani Sindledecker will serve as keynote speaker. An eighth-grader at Graham Middle School, she is an advocate and activist for mental health and founder and president of the Empathizers, a school club that destigmatizes mental health and promotes the youth voice in mental health conversations. She is also a documentarian who has created two award-winning short films, “Stigma-Free Nation: Pathway to Parity” and “Power to Save a Life,” that spotlight issues surrounding mental health.
Coordinated by event chairperson Gay Krause, the MVLA Challenge Team began in 1987 as a response to the challenge presented to California’s communities by the state Attorney General’s Office.
“After attending a conference sponsored by the attorney general, our local team was inspired to support and create programs to help our youth make positive decisions and live healthy lives,” Krause said. “The MVLA Challenge Team builds meaningful community partnerships to support the success of children, youth and families in the cities of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.”
For tickets to the breakfast and more information, visit challengeteam.org.
