Concern Foundation - Introduction

Conceived out of friendship, the fledgling organization was about meaningful issues from the very beginning. Fifteen Los Angeles couples joined together to give purpose to the life of their friend, Beverly Wolman, not yet 40, who was battling cancer. The couples included Angelenos Rollie and Naomi Childs(deseased); Robert J. and Bryna (deceased)Fox; Jerry and Gloria (deceased) Fields; Stanley and Jackie Gottlieb; Alvin and Gloria Lanfeld; Jules Levy and Patty (Levy) Reichler (since divorced); Ron and Constance Lushing (Connie is deceased); Albert and Ruth Peskin (both deceased); Lawrence and Joyce Powell; Bob and Sally Shafton; Al (deceased) and Joan Schaeffer; Wilbur (Bill) (deceased)and Dana Schwartz; Paul Schiff (deceased) and Cyrille Schiff Weingarten; Clay Sommers and Jan Sommers Mann (divorced); and Gerd (and Beverly—now deceased—for whom Concern was founded) Wolman. They wanted to make sure their dollars counted in the fight against cancer.

The group immediately made the decision to fund cancer research—specifically, to start, cancer immunology research directed by Dr. David Weiss at the Lautenberg Center for Tumor Immunology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Thanks in part to the support of CONCERN, this research was accepted for evaluation in 1970 by the National Institutes of Health.

In the organization’s first two years, the 15 couples raised $18,000 among just their friends. By 1973, CONCERN Foundation had involved A-list celebrities in its fundraising events. Jack Benny hosted An Evening at the Music Center with Andy Williams, Sonny & Cher and Liza Minnelli. The next year, none other than Frank Sinatra joined Williams, Arte Johnson and Jack Lemmon to entertain 900 guests at the first unofficial block party held in the gardens of the Al Hart estate in Bel Air, with lunch served by Chasen’s, the landmark restaurant and L.A. institution that became the event’s food purveyor.

In1975—the same year, CONCERN Foundation began funding the Department of Immunology at UCLA—the event was moved to Rodeo Drive to accommodate the clamor for tickets. Entertainers were Liza Minnelli, Shecky Green, Lily Tomlin, and Roger Miller. In 1977, the Concern Foundation added a premiere screening (New York New York, at the Wilshire Theater) to the entertainment faire. Thanks to Pierre Cossette, a longtime friend and sponsor of CONCERN, the roster of Block Party performers and auctioneers through the years reads like a Who’s Who of entertainment: Anthony Newley, Steve Allen, Harry James (he played in front of The Daisy, the legendary discotheque), the Lennon Sisters, Connie Stevens, Rich Little, Dick Shawn, Norm Cosby, Minnie Riperton, Glen Campbell, the Manhattan Transfer, radio talk-show host Michael Jackson (as celebrity auctioneer), John Raitt, Les Brown and his Band of Renown, Henry Mancini, Eric Estrada, Leiber & Stoller, Hal Linden, Natalie Cole, Monty Hall and more.

In 1979, other restaurants and caterers began to garner fame from the event. Milton Williams, then L.A. caterer to-the-stars, persuaded Moveable Feast, Josephine, Mr. Chow, Rócoco and The Saloon to join the festivities. Caterers and restaurants that subsequently joined included Randy Fuhrman’s Creative Catering, Parties Plus, Miss Grace Lemon Cake Co, Michael’s, 72 Market Street, West Beach Café, Scandia, Max au Triangle (Joachim Splichal’s first local restaurant) and Trumps. Bob Spivak's The Grill on the Alley has been part of the CONCERN Block Party for 25 consecutive years. Scott McKay of Chasen’s Chili, Lawry's The Prime Rib, Chin Chin, Pink's, Kate Mantilini, Factor’s Famous Delicatessen and Chaya, among others, continue to provide support. In 1996, the Block Party moved to Paramount Studios when even the full length of Rodeo Drive could not accommodate the crowd (plus, event expenses could be lowered, something of critical importance to CONCERN). After 9/11, when private events were barred from movie studios, the event moved to its present home, the Petersen Automotive Museum.

CONCERN is a rarity in the non-profit world in that at least 10 of the 15 original families are still involved and the involvement is multi-generational. In fact, it is the second generation that keeps the organization’s momentum going; several children of the founding families give their time on behalf of the organization today. In the early ‘80s CONCERN II, comprised of young adults 18-35, was founded by Rick Powell, and his sister Nancy Powell Eisenstadt. They are the children of CONCERN founders Lawrence and Joyce Powell, CONCERN’s volunteer board chair is Lisi Teller and she along with her husband Steve were original members of Concern II and today they are joined on the Concern Executive Board by their daughter Courtney Teller. CONCERN’s past Chairman John Carroll and his family represent three generations of participants.

John’s father, the late Dick Carroll of Carroll & Co., obtained permission from the Rodeo Drive merchants to close the street for the original block parties. His wife Lexy has been the Block Party chair for several years and their daughter Whitney is currently an administrative assistant working in the Concern office. Another CONCERN II founder, Derek Alpert, today serves as the full-time President of CONCERN. His family has been active in the organization for years and his oldest daughter Jessica also serves as a member of the organization’s Executive Board and one of the leaders of the second generation of Concern 2.

Please visit us at: www.concernfoundation.org