- Good evening and welcome to the 2021 Foundation Gala Awards.

Normally hundreds of friends, family and fans of education will all be gathered here in the Historic Old Administration Building Auditorium, at Fresno City College, to honor four outstanding individuals who have changed the landscape of education and engagement in our community.

But the show must go on.

And so, in keeping with the safety guidelines, we're thrilled to broadcast tonight's event for an expanded audience to enjoy right in the comfort of your home.

And while the format may look and feel a little different, the spirit and the intent of this annual celebration of community impact and inspiration remains unchanged.

Let the honors begin.

(people clapping) - The foundation and FCOE was created over 10 years ago with the mission to engage the community and the shared responsibility of providing excellent opportunities for students in our Fresno County Schools.

- When you think about the opportunities that children are given, education is the only key that truly opens the door to success for every single child.

- School budgets are limited and the money that's needed to go that extra step to help a kid reach their greatest potential requires participation from everyone.

And the foundation provides that opportunity for someone to contribute and see their many work very hard for them.

- What's really at the core of our foundation is matching a donor's vision with that student's need.

And when that happens, it's magic.

- The foundation is Fresno.

The foundation is about us.

It's about raising our children and we are investing in the very people who will one day grow up and be a part of our community.

And in so doing, we make Fresno a better place to be.

(soft listening instrumental music) - Good evening, I'm Dr. Michelle Cantwell-Copher and we are very proud to host this incredible celebration of excellence on behalf of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools and the Foundation at FCOE.

We are grateful to our board of directors and, of course, our sponsors who have made this evening possible.

And now, without further ado, it's time to honor four outstanding individuals in the categories of Athletics, Agriculture, the Arts, and Academics.

And tonight to start with, a Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame inductee with a heart for children and a spirit that defies gravity.

(indistinct game chatter) - I get a kick out of being an underdog, because I've been an underdog my entire life.

I wasn't expected to make it coming from my background and the things that have occurred with me and my life.

But guess what, I've overcome it all.

I grew up in the south, I'm a southerner and born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas.

It was 1968 when my mom brought us here from Arkansas after a divorce.

Overwhelmed with depression and trauma of the divorce, I really was looking for something to take my mind off of what I was feeling emotionally and what I was feeling mentally.

And so I, I started playing basketball and it was at that time that I think the love for basketball occurred.

- I first met Jackie at eighth grade orientation, at San Joaquin Memorial.

I saw her and I said, Hmm, there's something special about that girl, I'm gonna walk over.

So, I walked across the room and introduced myself.

And so from that moment on, we were friends, because we found out we both played basketball.

- [Jackie] Once I got to Memorial, I got all the support in the world that I needed, going to the Olympics, going to play in the Parade All-American game.

When I was selected as top five in the nation.

- Jackie not only was talented, but what made her so good was her drive and motivation to want to be better.

- I reflected back to that little five year old, six year old, girl sitting on TV, watching the Globe Trotters on Wide World Sport, and now I'm becoming one.

To play professional women's basketball on a men's team.

No one had ever done that, ever, in the history of women's basketball.

- Jackie, when she first came back, 'cause I was at Edison and I was a former basketball coach, I approached her saying, "Hey, why don't you coach?"

And she said, "No, Sue, I'm retired.

I don't want to coach, I want to retire."

But she came around and boy, everyone was lucky when she came around to coach.

- I'm a coach right now, but that is not my number one priority.

My number one priority is producing young, productive ladies with great character.

- I think this honor will be probably one of the top honors that she's gonna cherish, that Jackie's gonna cherish.

She is not only a phenomenal athlete, but she is one of the best people I know with the biggest heart.

- I feel honored.

I feel blessed.

Just the fact that people see, sincerely, sincerely what's in my heart.

And, and what's important to me, not, not Jackie White, the coach, Jackie white, the person, and how she cares about other people and impacting our youth lives and, and, and being, helping them become somebody in the world.

(audience clapping) - Well, congratulations, Jackie White.

Jackie is this year's Athletics Honoree.

Jackie, would you please join us on the stage as we present you with your medallion on behalf of the foundation at FCOE.

(audience clapping) (celebratory instrumental music) - This honor represents for me, one of my most important goals that I set for myself, which was to become somebody more than Jackie White, the basketball player.

So, before I walk off this stage, I have the courage now to do what I didn't do in 1986, no '87, when I performed here with the most infamous basketball team in the world, the famous Harlem Globe Trotters.

I'm going to step away from the mic for a moment, and I'm a do what I wanted to do at the Selland Arena.

Thank you, Fresno, thank you.

(audience clapping) I say the for the last time, without you there would be no me, and I am truly grateful and thankful so much.

Thank you.

- And now we recognize our Honoree for Agriculture.

A third generation farmer.

A leader in his industry and a champion for children.

- My grandfather Vincenzo Ricchiuti, came here to the United States from Italy.

They packed up and moved to California, in Fresno.

My father went to Edison High School.

He decided to develop his entrepreneur spirit, then opened up a fruit stand there on Whites Bridge Avenue, in Fresno.

I was offered the opportunity to take AG classes my freshman year at Clovis High.

And I found my niche, I really loved it.

- Watching my father and my grandfather and even my mother's work ethic growing up has been very enlightening.

Growing up in a third generation AG family for me was, is very special.

Right?

We had strong connections between my grandfather and my father, and you know, growing up or visiting them on the ranches or in the packing house.

It was part of our fabric of life.

- I've always been pretty passionate of, about helping and teaching and giving others an opportunity.

We believe in giving back.

- And for me, we've taken that onto, to continue that within P-R Farms and ENZO Olive Oil Company, and always wanting to offer internships and, and young people opportunities that they might not otherwise have, have afforded to them.

- Having Pat provide those internships to the students, I think is valuable because they can actually get their boots in the ground, get dirty, figure out what they're doing and understand what do they want to do in a life.

Pat realized that how, how influential the school districts and Doc Buchanan's leadership was on his own life, that he wanted to begin giving back himself.

- It was a great opportunity to give back to the community.

I owe a lot to Clovis Unified and what they provided for us, Dr. Buchanan and his leadership in the school district and providing students the ability to be the best they can be.

- Having that strong relationship with Doc Buchanan instilled into my father the attention to detail, and the willingness to help children.

- A lot of people, I think, will want to take credit for look at what I've done or look at what we've done for the community.

Pat is absolutely opposite of that.

He doesn't want to take credit himself.

And I think that's really a good attribute of a leader.

He really cares about each and every one and what everybody can offer to their community.

So, kind of hats off to Pat for really caring about each and every one of us.

I just want to say thank you to Pat.

He's an awesome person.

- I think it's great that my dad is been recognized for his contributions to agriculture in the education sector, because educating young people in agriculture has always been one of his focal points and for him to be recognized for the work and the time, the dedication that he's put into that is always, it's rewarding for our entire family.

- I am humbled by, you know, receiving this award.

I don't think I've done enough.

I think we've always got more to do, but it's, it's a tremendous opportunity for us to take this also, to tell people that they can do the same thing.

They can help others.

(audience clapping) - Congratulations, Pat Ricchiuti, this year's Agricultural Honoree.

Pat, please join us on the stage as we present your medal on behalf of the foundation at FCOE.

(audience clapping) (celebratory instrumental music) - Giving back is the most important thing that we could do in our lives.

That's how we frame our lives, is what we do for others.

And I, I've always believed in education.

However, I wouldn't want you to go back to take a look at my grades 'cause they weren't that great.

(audience laughing) But, I always have believed in what we could do for others.

And if we can help the educational system to become better and help others, that's what we should do.

And I, like I said, I can't say enough.

I'm gonna just try to make this kind of like, what I am short and sweet.

Maybe not so sweet sometimes.

(audience laughing) But I can't say enough.

And thank you so very much for all this means, and what it means to me and, and our family.

Thank you so very much.

- And now our Honoree for the Arts.

A Fresno famous arts icon, who has served her community for decades and who truly exemplifies this title as Arts Honoree, for there is simply no one more colorful, than Jackie Ryle.

- I knew the day that I walked into Modesto City Hall, that I was a public servant through and through.

I loved it.

So when I came here, I immediately went to city hall, went to the, to the HR, it was called personnel department then.

I took the test.

I got the job as a stenographer in the city clerk's office, and then the secretary retired.

So I took another test, got the secretary job in 1964.

My predecessor, Howard Roten, retired in 1967.

And I went to that city council and I said, listen, I can do the job.

I know how to do this.

I've been doing it.

You know, he's, he's, he's been kind of relaxing.

I've been doing the job.

And so, in 1967, that city council appointed me city clerk.

They did two things.

They cut the salary 35% and they eliminated that secretary position, 'cause I said, I'm doing all the work.

And they went, okay.

- Jackie and I worked together at city hall.

I met her when I first started there years ago, in the early 70s.

Jackie was a role model for a lot of the women who worked there.

She showed them that you could advance in city government.

And that wasn't that common back then.

- Through all the years, thank you, city of Fresno.

I went to school at night and on weekends and got my degrees.

- Cultural Arts Rotary Club in the world.

- The Cultural Arts Rotary Club, we are fond of saying that we're the first Cultural Arts Rotary Club.

- The Rotary Club that is now the Culturalized Rotary Club went through a transformation.

And Jackie Ryle was the leader of that process.

It was a conventional Rotary Club and they were struggling for membership and kind of unsure about their future.

And they apparently kind of looked around the room and identified what they all had in common.

And at that point in time, they said, "Well, we all love the arts.

We're all patrons of the arts."

- And so we had a facilitated session and we decided that we would rename ourselves officially in the rotary international system, the Cultural Arts Rotary Club of Fresno, and that we would have a specific mission.

And that mission would be having arts opportunities available to youth that they ordinarily or otherwise would not have.

- You look around her home and you see her love for art.

This type of art, the physical art, as I mentioned, she is so enamored with theater, with music.

She is a primary supporter, here in the city of Fresno.

She's just, that's just Jackie.

- Legacy is about what you might be remembered for or what might carry on.

And so I think that whole issue of, do be engaged in your community, do be supportive of the things that are happening in your community.

- Our valley, our town, our city, our kids, our community are so lucky to have Jackie Ryle, because she is a champion for all.

And she loves the city and she loves this community and we would not be who we are without true leaders, champions, like Jackie Ryle.

- I'm deeply honored, and that's the truth.

I am deeply honored.

I'm very, very grateful.

And I'm in, gosh, such an, a wonderful, this is such a wonderful group of folks that I'm with in this.

It's hard to say I'm really, really grateful.

Hard to express.

(audience clapping) - Congratulations, Jackie Ryle, this year's Arts Honoree.

Please join us Jackie, on the stage as we present you the medal, on behalf of the foundation at FCOE.

(audience clapping) (celebratory instrumental music) - What an amazing experience, to kind of see some pieces of your life.

Be in a room, a courtyard like this, with individuals, all of you, who make such a difference in the world.

I'm humbled and I'm deeply, deeply grateful.

Thank you so very much.

This is like Olympic gold.

(audience clapping) - And, finally, our Honoree for Academics, posthumously awarded to an individual who paved the way as a medical professional and who served both his country and his community bravely and completely, Dr. Fitzalbert M. Marius.

- We would like to honor you and present you with the 2019 Legacy and Excellence Award.

(audience cheering) - Well, I laugh (giggling).

I laugh, because I know darn well I'm not a legend.

(giggling) I'm just another human being.

I'm just another human being.

And I thank the Lord, coincidental Lord, for using ineffective and inefficient me to further your basic fundamental principle, that we are one people.

- My dad never saw himself as somebody who's better than, or more important than anybody else.

He just believed that, as a human being, on this planet, that you know, that you maximize your potential, you know, and you're here to make this planet, this place a better place, not just for you, but for everybody.

- I grew up in a family of integrity.

And even today, no matter what I tell you, I can hear what my mother made positive for me.

She would tell me in her Western accent, "Berty, don't you ever make an oath you don't keep, you hear that, boy!"

(chuckling) And I still hear that.

So, so when I went into medicine, that same basic fundamental standards, went with me.

- He would always make it a point to talk about his time when he was in medical school at Howard University.

You know, number one, he's dealing with the rigors of being, you know, being a medical student, you know, taking all the classes, the labs, the hours upon hours of work that you need to do to accomplish that.

While at the same time, he also had a family.

And on top of that, he was also the president of his class.

- I was, as a matter of fact, I was not only the first African American doctor, of course, African doctor to perform heart surgery, in Fresno, but I was the very first Afro American surgeon, ever in Fresno.

- My dad was a man of faith and he was a man of integrity.

If my dad told you something, you can count on it.

He was a great man, you know, he was my hero, but really, you know, we know, what it all boiled down to, to me is that he was just a great person.

He was just my dad.

You know, that's, that, more than anything else is what mattered to me.

Not all this other stuff, you know, which definitely deserves to be pointed out.

But, you know, to me, he's just a great man.

- I don't become a legend until I ain't here anymore.

(chuckling) So, I'm not a legend.

(chuckling) (easy listening instrumental music) (audience clapping) - Well at this time, our Honoree for Academics, obviously, Dr. Marius, God bless Dr. Marius.

That's all I can tell you.

As a young boy on Killarney Boulevard, I grew up next to Dr. Marius.

How fortunate I was to all of that, the family, and tonight we will be presenting to his son, Michael.

Michael, if you'd come and join us, we'd like to present you with this medallion for your father and for your family.

Congratulations.

(audience clapping) (celebratory instrumental music) - In my eyes, my dad was an awesome man who truly loved his wife, children, grandchildren, honored his friendships, and wanted to make the world, both outside and inside his home, a better place to live.

Through his values and practices, he showed me how to be a good friend, a loving husband and father, an obedient child of God and a man of integrity.

So whatever he happens to be to everybody else, to me, Dr. Fitzalbert Marius, isn't just my dad.

He is my friend, my role model and my hometown hero.

Please know that my father's family, friends and loved one greatly appreciate all of you.

Thank you.

(audience clapping) (banging chests) ♪ It takes a whole village to raise our children ♪ ♪ It takes a whole village to raise one child ♪ ♪ We all everyone must share the burden ♪ ♪ We all everyone will share the joy ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey-yah ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey-yah ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey-yah ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey-yah ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey-yah ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey-yah ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ We all, we all ♪ ♪ We all, we all ♪ ♪ We all, we all ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ We all, we all ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ We all, we all ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ We all, we all ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ It takes a whole village to raise our children ♪ ♪ It takes a whole village to raise one child ♪ ♪ We all everyone must share the burden ♪ ♪ We all everyone one will share the joy ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ It takes a whole village to raise our children ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ It takes a whole village to raise one child ♪ ♪ Everyone ♪ ♪ We all everyone must share the burden ♪ ♪ We all everyone will share the joy ♪ - Thank you for tonight's presenting sponsors, Educational Employees Credit Union, Chevron, Valley Children's Hospital and Fowler Packing Company.

And thank you to everyone who joined us tonight, whether in person or for our special Valley PBS television broadcast event, as we honored four incredible individuals, Jackie White, Patrick Ricchiuti, Dr. Jackie Ryle and Dr. Fitzalbert Marius for the impact they've made with our youth across the county.

It truly takes a village to make a difference.

And the foundation at FCOE is proud to help support this community, our students, and all of the wonderful things to come.

Good night.

(celebratory instrumental music)