Teen Esteem: A Gala Celebration
Teen Esteem equips youth to make courageous, well informed choices based on respect for self and others.
Teen Esteem Mission Statement
The Event: Teen Esteem’s 20th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser
When: Saturday, September 27, 2014
Where: Blackhawk Country Club, Danville, CA
As most of you know, my friend Sam Patti and I are partners of a charity auction company called Duke and Duke Charity Auctions. The following is a writeup we prepared for Teen Esteem, a Danville, CA based foundation we’re pleased to partner with.
Shortly after being hired to conduct the live auction for Teen Esteem’s 20th Anniversary gala, I told my wife about our latest gig. “Who hired you?” she asked, her attention glued to the video game dancing on her iPad. “A group called Teen Esteem. Ever hear of it?” She lifted her pretty blonde head and peered over her eyeglasses. I must have touched a nerve, because it takes an Act of God to steal my beautiful bride from her video obsession. “Of course I’ve heard of Teen Esteem! That’s Linda Turnbull’s program. She spoke at our church several years ago. Isn’t she amazing?”
Ten seconds of inquiry and I already had my first endorsement of Linda Turnbull. This was going to be easy.
Twenty years doing anything is worthy of a tip of the cap; even more so when it comes to building bridges. That’s the core essence of Linda Turnbull’s passion; creating relationships for teenagers where none before existed. On one level are relationships with friends, peers, and classmates, the necessary connections to help our children get through the day. On another level are relationships with authorities and parents, where values such as appreciation and respect are woven into a child’s character. Last, and most important, is the relationship a teenager has with him or her self. To trust that the decisions they make are right, not just for their present but for their future as well. This is why Linda created Teen Esteem, and why she has made it her passion for the last twenty years.
Linda Turnbull is that rare individual who pinpointed a problem, created a solution and executed a vision. But Teen Esteem is more than a program; it’s a community. Linda’s singular belief in not just being right, but doing right, helped recruit an army of selfless volunteers who shared her vision of empowering young people with the tools they needed to succeed. Linda didn’t want to just solve a problem; she wanted to create a commonality of mutual interest, where nothing is more important for the long-term success of a community than the future of its children.
We told Linda the key to a successful fundraiser was to make the evening as much about her as her organization. She bristled at our suggestion. Linda is a lot of things, but a self-promoter isn’t one of them. So allow us to do the dirty work. Saturday’s 20th Anniversary gala is more than a celebration of Teen Esteem’s commitment over the past two decades. It’s about future decades, where Teen Esteem can continue impacting your community one classroom at a time.
Respect her efforts, and honor her vision, by giving generously.
Respectfully,
Lee Geiger and Sam Patti
Duke and Duke Charity Auctions