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The Glen to hold a benefit for children's organization
By Kara Chalmers
John Karamanos, owner of The Glen restaurant on Lincoln Avenue, says that when he heard about the Vanished Children's Alliance (VCA) he immediately wanted to help.
He decided to add the missing children organization to the list of charities The Glen contributes to yearly. On Sept. 22, he will close down his restaurant for the night and hold a dinner and billiards tournament to benefit the VCA. Karamanos describes the event as an opportunity to mingle with City Council members and county supervisors.
Mayor Ron Gonzales and Ken Yeager, candidate for San Jose City Council District 6, will co-host the affair.
"It's a good cause," Karamanos says. "The thing I like is that you can see where the money is going, to prevention and education. It [the VCA] has been around for a while--they have a good track record."
The VCA, a non-profit organization that helps parents find missing, runaway or abducted children, is the second-oldest such organization nationally. Its case management and outreach office is in San Jose.
Karamanos wants to make the VCA event a yearly one, and although this is his first benefit for the group, he hopes to raise from $20,000 to $35,000.
"The Vanished Children's Alliance really hits my heart," says Karamanos. "We have a 4-, 3- and a 2-year-old. You can relate to something like that. With three kids you fit the profile."
Ken Yeager's interest in children's issues is equally strong.
"I've always been a child advocate and I know these are very dangerous times for children," he says. "Programs like the VCA advocate for and protect children. The more infrastructure we have to protect children, the better off we are as a society."
Yeager researched child-care while getting his Ph.D. in education at Stanford University in 1990 and is considered somewhat of an expert in the field. He is a professor of political science at San Jose State University, and is vice president of the board of trustees at San Jose-Evergreen Community College District.
Chris Wilder , assistant director of the VCA, was familiar with Yeager's interest in children's issues and asked him if he would co-sponsor The Glen's event.
The two men met in 1994, when Wilder was working on a campaign finance reform project that Yeager supported. They kept in contact because they shared political interests and were big supporters of children's and animal rights.
Wilder cites Yeager's interest in education as another common link. "The VCA has been focusing a lot more on education in the last few years," says Wilder. "[Yeager's] dedication to education was the final reason I called him."
Yeager says, "I was honored that he would ask, especially since the mayor is sponsoring it too."
Running against Yeager for the District 6 council seat are Mike Borquez, a former arts commissioner; Kris Cunningham, a former Willow Glen Neighborhood Association president; and perennial candidate Bill Chew, a City Hall regular on roller skates.
The 6 p.m. event will feature a buffet-style gourmet meal, a billiards tournament and live music. The cost is $40 per person. For tickets and information, call 296-1113.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
