OSKA Celebrates its 2nd Year with NAMI

When retail stores celebrate anniversaries, it’s usually done with a big sale that celebrates fashion. But for OSKA‘s celebration, it honors good people and benefits worthy causes.

On Sunday September 8, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., OSKA will be having its 2nd anniversary celebration with a private party and silent auction. The event will also honor clinical psychologist Michael DiPaolo, Ph.D. and president of the National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI), recipient of the proceeds from the event.

“It’s our second year of OSKA here in Pasadena, so we’re going to have a big anniversary cake, spirits, appetizers and there’s going to be an amazing silent auction of really great things,” says Annie Frank of OSKA. “The silent auction includes paintings by Robert Brandy which are hanging on our walls in the store, art donated by local artists, a catered dinner for six served up at the winner’s home by an Italian chef, and much more”

In conjunction with the OSKA celebration, NAMI will be honoring DiPaolo for all the good work he has poured into the organization.

Danielle Kurz of NAMI explains, “we’re going to have a series of lectures for Dr. Di Paolo. I was thinking it will be nice to have a party for him and try to have the clients of OSKA know ‘What is NAMI?'” Kurz feels not much is known about NAMI and the OSKA event will be a good springboard to introduce the nonprofit.

As for OSKA, “What we’re going to do is sell as much as possible and donate back part of the proceeds to NAMI. They are a great organization and with a lot of the military coming home, there’s going to be a lot of need for the services they provide. They also help the homeless here in town, as well. It’s outstanding what they do. It’s an amazing organization,” says Frank.

Most of the people involved with NAMI are volunteers, according to Kurz, so the nonprofit is trying to raise as much money as it can to help families in crises within the San Gabriel Valley. Aside from the financial help it would receive, Kurz hopes that NAMI could start to make noise and be recognized and supported by more people.

The event will be held at OSKA, 13 Douglas Alley, Old Pasadena (near Il Fornaio Restaurant).

To find out more about the event, you may call OSKA Pasadena at (626) 432-1729 or check out http://www.oska-pasadena.com.

For more information about NAMI, you may call the NAMI office at (626) 577-6697 or visit http://www.namisangabrielvalley.org/.