Sheila E and Pops Escovedo receive Lincoln's first "Building Futures" Award

Lincoln's been lucky for a long time. Lucky enough to receive the love, care and attention of its founder, its Junior Alliance, its flower groups and notable donors. Lincoln, some years back, was also lucky enough to receive an extraordinary gift from Ms. Sheila E, who gave the children at Lincoln a complete suite of Mac computers on which the kids were invited to create music. Sheila E, as everyone alive in the time of Prince remembers, is the talented and beautiful drummer in his band. An exquisite performer in her own right, Sheila E has been wowing audiences with her way with the sticks and skins since the age of 3. Sheila and her father, Pete Escovedo, will be honored for their family philanthropy, their legacy of love, their commitment to kids. Sheila and her family have started a foundation to provide the healing tools for art and music programs to kids in foster care and others who suffer from abuse and traumas. Sheila knows this pain from the inside out--as she was sexually abused at the age of 5 by a babysitter, and learned early of the healing power of music. Her commitment and her family's legacy exemplifies the mission of Lincoln Child Center and we are moved to create this first honor, the BUILDING FUTURES AWARD, to capture a bit of the light they cast as they make music and love that matters in the lives of the children and families we serve.

Remind yourself of Sheila's accomplishments by visiting her website: http://www.sheilae.com/bio.php
and learn more about her work with Elevate Hope: http://www.elevatehope.org/about/sheila.php

Be in the room with Sheila E and Pete Escovedo when they receive their Lincoln Child Center's First Building Futures Award at the Culinary Stars of the Bay Tasting Extravaganza Celebrity and VIP Reception, May 14, 2009 from 6:00-7:00 pm. Tickets are $150 and available from our website: http://lincolncc.org/html/upcoming.html

Culinary Stars of the Bay Tasting Extravaganza - May 14, 2009

Each year for the past 19, we've been gathering the bay area's best food, wine, spirits and song, and celebrating under the stars at the Chabot Space and Science Center--having a good time for a great cause. In this lean year, with the economic news all about a downturn, gathering like this is more important than ever. This event gathers friends of Lincoln, old and new, and shines a spotlight on what we really do here: make a safe place for vulnerable kids to get what they need--what is not provided by any other place--what can not remain possible without your support.

See, Lincoln, started when Rebecca McWade found a baby on her doorstep in 1883, remains an almost secret place in the Oakland Hills where kids who truly have no other alternatives can be taken in, loved back to health and returned to the world with a stronger sense of hope and possibility--a new resolve for life. 26 of our kids live here with us all the time--they are court appointed wards of the state and have no other home. 77 come to school with us--in our day treatment program--and find the skills to calm and center themselves enough to learn. Over 1500 bay area families are supported by our Kinship services, Wrap, and school based programs where Lincoln professionals are providing the mental and behavioral health services to keep things like Columbine from happening in Contra-Costa and Alameda Counties. We offer hope, health and healing to kids in crisis and families in need.

This event--the Culinary Stars event--is the major fundraiser for this agency. It's a critical year--where we, like every other agency, are losing funding from our traditional sources. Please, join us under the stars, and wish on them with us--that this economy turns around, that our kids get plugged back into mental health, that our families are re-united in health and wellness, that our world gets better for everyone in it. Tickets are on sale through our website: www.lincolncc.org.