A Rugged Elegance Inspiration Network Exclusive by Jennifer King

Thursday morning, the founder of All Stars Helping Kids, Ronnie Lott, and motivational speaker & celebrity auctioneer, Bubba Paris -- two San Francisco Forty-Niner greats -- hosted the annual Young Life All Stars event at the Westin St. Francis Hotel.

Young Life is an international Christian organization whose vision is to mentor and minister to young people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and to adolescents who live in high-density communities, such as the inner city, including those who have a history of being socially or economically disadvantaged. Young Life San Francisco has a $650,000 a year city-wide budget which enables forty volunteers and staff to reach out to high school kids in San Francisco's Metro area, Bay View / Hunter's Point, Chinatown, The Richmond District, The Sunset and The Tenderloin.

Three-time Super Bowl winner, Bubba Paris served as the MC for the breakfast and awards ceremony. Paris referred to himself as:

Big
Unusually
Bright
Beautiful and
Ambitious

He said "When you are born with a purpose, your natural thoughts become supernatural." The offensive lineman, who is indeed big, unusually bright, beautiful and ambitious, is a living example of this claim. His life after football is proof that, even beyond "the glory days," life can have a supernatural quality to it. Mr. Paris serves as an inspiration to both kids and adults.

Fellow 49er teammate, Guy McIntyre, took train, bus and automobile to arrive just in the nick of time to give the invocation. The Holy Spirit was clearly already "in the house." However, McIntyre's summons made it "official."

Pro Football Hall of Famer, Ronnie Lott, added spirit to the morning by talking about celebrating kids and celebrating life.

The President & Founder of All Stars Helping Kids is dedicated to serving disadvantaged youth by ensuring their "successful passage to adulthood." Each year, he raises funds by hosting the Annual Ronnie Lott Celebrity Golf Tournament, Music, Art and Heart concert, and other special events around The Bay Area, including this year's Young Life Breakfast.

Thursday morning, in addition to the Holy Spirit, a crazy, fun spirit abounded which came from Bubba and Tiny, two "Red Neck" motivational speakers. Their skit was an example of the crazy fun that Young Life "Club" events inspire all over the world.

Another great San Franciscan in the house to celebrate the lives of seven young kids making a difference in our community was, "x"-San Francisco mayor, Willie Brown, who is seventy years old, today. (Happy Birthday Willie!) Mr. Brown took the time to shake the hands of award-winners, Elvin Friaz, Damon Hall, Pablo Ponce, Christopher Seals, Ikenna Uwakah, Nyasha Vincent and Shannon Wong.

Elvin Friaz, a Junior involved in the Mission District "Club" moved to San Francisco from the Philippines at the age of eight. His vision is to work with kids beginning at the Tenderloin Community Center supporting elementary and middle school students.

Pablo Ponce, a Junior at Galileo High School "Club" moved to San Francisco from Mexico two years ago. You would never know it given how articulate he was on stage. Pablo spoke about the influence of music, specifically the guitar, as a way to not only stay out of trouble, but as a way to serve other kids. He plays the guitar at "Club." He also helps his mother raise his younger siblings. Pablo would like to go to college and become a chef. He is taking night classes in order to graduate from high school on time.

Another young person, who was not given an award, but who stands out as a leader in the community, is Lili Largaespada. The poem she shared as part of her testimony showed the passion she has for fighting evil, for surviving and for learning how to celebrate life.

Here is what she said:

The hunta tried to get me
N the bastard can’t forget me
Learned that sin can never win
And that evil’s blood is thin.
And now he’s runnin hard
Comin after me n mine
Cuz we spit religious fits
And he’s runnin out of time.
Runnin outta weed n booze
that had made my life confused,
runnin outta sweet temptation
And shorting out the centerfuse.
He’s becoming so much sweeter
And comin at me with a plan
Getting to me thru ecstasy
Like a kind and gentle man.
Isn’t that a smart adaption?
Turning tigers into doves.

Seeing that I won’t sin through hate
And He might get his way thru love.
And this devil’s so much different
Than the one I met before.
I fought the fight, got thru the night
Now he’s returned to settle tha score.
Returned to make me cry
Returned to take my soul
But his blue flame cant take this dame
Cuz my kiss is icy cold.
Cuz my tears are holy fluid
In body it’s runnin thru it
And I got Jesus on my sidelines
Screaming baby ? u can do it!"

By Lili Largaespada

San Francisco Northside Area Director, Tricia MacLeod, forty-one year-old Southeast Bayview Area Director, Kirk Davis and Mission Area Director, Tony Gonzalez each took turns to talk about how they work to listen to, feel and walk with the kids they serve. Davis was especially eloquent as he talked about how many kids in his area have become numb to pain, much like someone who has been physically burned who no longer feels the hurt. On the other hand, he said he wasn't sure he could handle going to one more funeral, or watching his kids lay to rest one more peer in Bayview Hunter's Point. His message "We Feel with Kids" struck a chord with the hundreds in attendance.

As Clif Davidson, Young Life's San Francisco Bay Area Regional Director said, "When you think about making an investment, there is nothing that pays better dividends" than to reach out to the children of our community. The vision he shares with his team is to not just reach hundreds of kids; it is to reach thousands of kids in San Francisco.

The video "A Day in the Life" communicated the need well: "We need to take care of the kids or there is not going to be salt and light in the city."

Paris, Lott, Brown, Davidson and the other leaders in the house shared a common view: "They don't know anyone who is impacting high school kids in the city in a better manner than Young Life."

If you are interested in learning more about Young Life in San Francisco or donating resources to this organization, please go to: YoungLifeSF.org

Or Call Trish MacLeod at 415.751.5599.

Many thanks to my host, Peter Drake, another leader in our community, who has dedicated his life to young people through Young Life, the three-time Grammy award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus, as well as kids being saved from the streets of Brazil as a result of the efforts of Hope Unlimited.

Inspire & Be Inspired (tm).

~Jennifer King, Trustee, Thrive Foundation for Youth

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