In Universe Of Giving, Some Stars

These Four Efforts Made A Difference This Year

Through donations and volunteer hours, numerous organizations and individuals have helped make residents' lives a little better over the past year. Although many people and groups merit recognition, here is a look at just a few in the Prince William County area.

A Passion for Charity Blooms

Prince William resident Frank Lasch said his passion for doing charitable work dates to his grade school days in Pennsylvania.

And, the 65-year-old said, the passion is still alive. Lasch is chief executive of Azalea Charities, an organization he founded nearly 10 years ago that donates thousands of dollars and hours to numerous causes and groups.

"My love for this kind of work goes back to my Catholic upbringing and going to Catholic schools, where the nuns always had you raising money for different things," he said. "And my mom was always involved in various efforts. It's just in my blood; I like helping people."

Lasch said he, along with friend Larry Pergerson, began helping local organizations in 1997, first with a telethon and later with a golf tournament that raised money for the Prince William Boys & Girls Club and Special Olympics.

Although the projects were successful, Lasch said he wanted to create an organization dedicated solely to raising money for youth and special needs projects.

So he did.

Azalea Charities earned its nonprofit status in 2000 and has been helping groups from Arlington County to Fredericksburg as well as organizations around the globe since.

"I thought it would be great to create an organization that would raise a significant amount of money and be run by all volunteers with a passion to do good work," said Lasch, who has recruited almost 60 volunteers. "I got the name Azalea because when we had the golf tournament, the azaleas were all out and in bloom. It seemed like the perfect fit."

Azalea Charities is based in Prince William and supports nine Boys & Girls Clubs; Special Olympics; homeless shelters; juvenile diabetes, leukemia and lymphoma research; and educators, Lasch said. In the past year, the organization raised about $355,000 for such programs, he said.

Azalea Charities also focuses on aid to wounded soldiers. Since June 2004, the group has donated more than 27,000 "comfort items" and more than 1.2 million in telephone minutes, Lasch said, noting that comfort goods include blenders for people whose jaws are wired shut and laptops for amputees who need to work from bed. Money also went to the Arlington-based nonprofit group CrisisLink to train call center workers for the new Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline as well as to the British Army Benevolent Fund America, which supports the Army Benevolent charity in the United Kingdom.

Lasch said Azalea would not be possible without support from residents, organizations and businesses. For instance, Giorgio's Family Restaurant in Montclair named a sandwich after him and gives 50 cents to the organization every time someone orders "Frank's Azalea Super Grilled Cheese."