Rosendahl Honored at Young Democrats Event

City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who represents Playa del Rey and Del Rey, was one of the honorees at the 8th Annual Robert F. Kennedy Awards Reception to recognize outstanding community activism and leadership.

During his acceptance speech for the RFK Leadership Award, Rosendahl recalled buying a new suit and flying to Indianapolis to work on Robert F. Kennedy's campaign in the late 1960s, during which he organized events with and Barbra Streisand to galvanize the youth vote.

The award was presented by the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats on Thursday in Studio City.

"Bobby was my inspiration," said Rosendahl, who still has a poster of Kennedy on his wall at City Hall and said he turns to it at difficult times to ask if he's doing the right thing.

Rosendahl noted the challenging times the country is facing and expressed frustration at the ongoing wars and tax cuts for the rich but noted, "The energy of the youth and the wisdom of the old will make America a great place." He encouraged young Democrats hoping to make a difference to find someone who inspires them.

Eli Lipmen, co-chair of the Robert F. Kennedy Awards, said this year's event was designed to honor the vision of the late presidential candidate and former attorney general by featuring honorees who worked on Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign and those who currently embody his ideals of courage, justice, and inspiration.

"He believed in courage. He looked for heroes in his own life," said Lipmen of Kennedy. 

One young Democrat being honored for their hard work in the community was Barri Worth, Director of Advance for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Worth received the "Ripple of Hope" Award, which is based on the Robert F. Kennedy quote that "Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope." 

Worth said that politics get a bad reputation and that sometimes people fail to notice the ways local government can give back and make a difference in their community. One of Worth's accomplishments includes pairing Verizon with the West Valley Family YMCA to fund the KidzLit literacy program.

An ongoing theme of the evening was civil rights and the role played in the civil rights movement. Rick Tuttle, retired Los Angeles City Controller, noted that RFK's actions along with the actions of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, placed the Democratic Party on the side of civil rights.

Juanita Chavez, who accepted the RFK Leadership award for her mother, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, said the Democratic Party needed to embrace groups such as the Log Cabin Republicans if CPAC doesn't want them, and stay on the side of civil rights.

Chavez also brought a message from her mother: "We have to grow our numbers." 

The event, which also functions as a fundraiser for Democratic political campaigns, certainly did its part to help the Democratic Party. This year it raised $28,000 to help Democratic campaigns and proved to be the most successful RFK Awards Reception so far. 

Andrew Lachman, a RFK Leadership Award Honoree, said the event has grown from a small happy hour event to one of the biggest fundraisers in Los Angeles County.

Lachman said, "I am in awe of what this club has done with the RFK Awards. I look forward to attending the 15th and 20th RFK Awards."