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You Bash for PALS at Bart’s Pad
Nancy & Greg Smith
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On Thursday, February 1st, North Valley Honorary
Mayor and Devonshire PALS board member, Nancy Cartwright hosted
an afternoon party at her home for a number of very special
people. Councilman Greig Smith and members of his staff, fellow
PALS Board members and several LAPD officers enjoyed snacks
and praise to honor their hard work and fundraising activities
for the new Devonshire PALS youth center.
Nancy wanted to do something to acknowledge the dedication
of the team working to establish a safe environment for the
kids of North San Fernando Valley. It was this dedication
that led to a recent million dollar grant from the city of
Los Angeles to help fund the building of the youth center,
a grant that was applied for by Councilman Smith and his staff
on behalf of Devonshire PALS.
Nancy & Wayne Adelstein
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“It has been such a pleasure to be a part of this,”
said Nancy. “And I just wanted to do something to acknowledge
the team that has really gone above and beyond with their
continued hard work and dedication” With this Nancy
presented key contributors with small golden shovels meant
to signify just how close the capital campaign is to breaking
ground.
“We still need more donations coming in to reach the
ultimate goal for the building,” she said. “There
are funds needed to cover ongoing operating expenses, furniture
and so much more but this was one heck of a huge step so well
done to all involved!”
Voice-Over Acting Seminar!
Click
here to download a
PDF version of the flyer.
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Want to make it as a Voice-Over Actor?
Nancy will be delivering a Voice-Over Acting
seminar on March 5th at the Church of Scientology Celebrity
Centre International in Hollywood. “How To Make It in
the Voice-Over Industry” will give you useful tips and
know-how as an aspiring actor. Find out the basics and the
professional view of what it takes to establish and maintain
a career in Voice-Over Acting.
Celebrity Centre is located at 5930 Franklin
Ave. Hollywood, CA at the corner of Bronson and Franklin.
The event begins at 7:30 PM on Monday
March 5th. Admission is $17.00. Parking is Free, enter on
Bronson. For reservations: (323) 960-3100.
Nancy Tips Voice Actors
The Garden Pavilion at Celebrity Centre International in
Hollywood played host to Nancy Cartwright and a panel of experts
delivering career advice for voice-over actors.
Nancy, with her decades of knowledge and experience as a
voice actor, was flanked by actress/MC Denise Duff and career
consultant Joyce Wallace.
Held on Wednesday Evening, January 10th, Nancy delivered
insights on demo tapes, audition techniques, communication
with agents, building a body of work and how to really seize
the moment and make the most of your opportunities.
This well-rounded event not only gave the actors useful industry
advice but also introduced them to communication and administration
tools to overcome nerves, shyness, procrastination and other
barriers to “making it.”
The event was attended by well over 50 aspiring artists and
culminated with attendee volunteers delivering their unique
voices at the mike while being directed by Nancy. Nancy intends
to continue these seminars and do them more often in the coming
months.
Voice Of Bart Simpson Graduates
From The L.A. Racing Experience Driving School
 LOS
ANGELES – As most people spent Sunday watching
the NFL Playoffs, Nancy Cartwright, Emmy winning voice of
Bart Simpson, spent the day with NASCAR development driver
and founder of Freedom Motorsports Group Inc., Kenton Gray,
at Southern California’s premier driving school, L.A.
Racing Experience at Irwindale Speedway. Gray, who plans on
running in the ARCA Re/Max Series this season, mentored and
instructed avid NASCAR fan, Cartwright, for 8 hours between
class and track time. “I knew racecar drivers were good,
but had no idea until Sunday the physical and mental conditioning
one must endure to competitively compete each weekend”
said Cartwright. “Kenton’s driving experience
and instruction in class and on the track was instrumental
to my success” continued Cartwright.
Gray, a racer since the age of 10, played a significant
role Sunday by spending time prior to the school with Cartwright
educating her on all the racing terminology so come Sunday,
Cartwright was ready to strap in and go racing. “This
was one of my career highlights to have had the opportunity
to play a role in Nancy’s driving development”
said Gray. “Now I only hope she continues to have record-setting
success as the voice of Bart Simpson and as executive producer
of The Kellys (animated series TeamKellyRacing.com), otherwise
I may have more competition come race day,” continued
Gray.
Cartwright was not the only student Sunday at L.A. Racing
Experience, 17 other racing and driving enthusiasts also participated
for part of the day and were pleasantly surprised they had
the opportunity to drive with a top Hollywood celebrity. “Our
driving school is unique to most others in the country”
said Jim Cohen, owner of L.A. Racing Experience. “We’re
just minutes from Hollywood, so it’s an easy drive for
celebrities and race fans alike to come out and feel the speed
of a high-banked oval in real racecar.
Cartwright’s animated production company, SportsBlast,
which produces The Kellys (an animated series developed with
Turner Sports New Media) and Gray’s Freedom Motorsports
Group Inc., recently announced a creative and unique marketing
alliance. The alliance offers sponsors and advertisers a first
of it’s kind marketing channel that includes a ARCA
RE/MAX Series and NASCAR Busch Series competition package,
branded contents and product integration in a racing animated
series, as well as, a reality-based television series scheduled
to air in 2007. “Having Nancy successfully complete
the driving school at L.A. Racing Experience really gave her
the opportunity to experience what Kenton will face each weekend,”
said Jason Potter, president of Dynamic Motorsports Consulting,
who represents Kenton Gray, Freedom Motorsports Group and
The Kellys and their motorsports interest.
About L.A. Racing Experience
Located at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, California, L.A.
Racing Experience is Southern California’s premier driving
school and offers all levels of race training, from beginner
to advance, kids to adults. For more information on LARX,
please call 877-901-RACE or visit them on the Internet at
www.laracingx.com.
Emmy Winning Voice of Bart Simpson
and Nascar Development Driver Join Forces
LOS ANGELES, CA – December 7, 2006 – SportsBlast,
a producer of innovative online entertainment founded by Nancy
“voice-of-Bart-Simpson” Cartwright, and NASCAR
development driver Kenton Gray announced today a strategic
marketing alliance set to launch immediately. This cross-promotional
alliance, the first of its kind, brings together a campaign
package featuring traditional on-track promotions and mainstream
marketing as well as dynamic on-line placements in the racing
show, The Kellys. This exposure greatly exceeds the penetration
and measurability of other sponsorship programs. [Read
more]
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Honoring the Honorary Mayor
Funded! PALS Youth Center Gets $1 Million
By THOM SENZEE
A surprise awaited Honorary Mayor of the North Valley Nancy
Cartwright as she went to City Hall to be recognized by the
Los Angeles City Council last week for leading the cause in
2006 of building a new youth center in the North Valley: Thanks
to Councilman Greig Smith’s behind-the-scenes efforts
to secure a redevelopment grant of $1 million—more than
doubling the amount of money volunteers had already raised—Phase
I of the fundraising project is nearing completion.
Cartwright, flanked by about a dozen fellow members of the
board of directors of the Devonshire Police Activities League
Supporters (PALS), had been asked to come downtown to receive
a plaque and thanks from the City of Los Angeles for raising
and donating more than $200,000 toward the cost of construction
of the facility which is to be built on land sold to PALS
for $1 by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The
lot is located at Parthenia Street, between Tampa Avenue and
Reseda Boulevard.
 Now,
with nearly all of the $2 million needed to build the facility
in place, Cartwright expects PALS will break ground on its
new youth center—a building which will be several times
larger than the less than 1,000 square-feet space now in use—early
this year. Once built, she says the North Valley PALS Youth
Center will make a big difference in local kids’ lives—especially
those at particular risk for gang involvement.
“This is amazing,” Cartwright said. “There’s
isn’t anything like it in our area. Now, there’s
a waiting list to get into the programs of the little center,
programs that help kids stay out of trouble: tutoring, sports,
and the reading program.”
For his part, Councilman Greig Smith says he’s just
as surprised by the approval of the million-dollar grant,
which he had quietly applied for on behalf of PALS.
“It was a bit of a shock,” Smith said. “We
submitted three or four months ago, not thinking we had a
chance, because we’ve scored two big wins in the last
two years with grants. And, we got a lot of Prop. K money
last year.”
Smith says he and his staff had heard rumors that there
might be some good news from the agency that decides such
grant applications, but confirmation didn’t come until
minutes before the announcement was made simultaneously with
Nancy Cartwright’s award.
“We were really there to just honor Nancy—not
just as an honorary mayor who cuts ribbons and acts as an
ambassador for the community, but as [Councilman] Bill Rosendahl
said, for taking her celebrity to a level of social commentary
and service. It’s what she does in real life that’s
amazing.”
It turned out that the bigger award came for PALS.
“They had us waiting until a lot of other people were
honored in the chamber,” Cartwright said. “I didn’t
mind waiting or being the last one to be called up to the
podium, because I loved watching and seeing how many individuals
across this city work to make a difference—how ever
small—in people’s lives.”
Afterward, Cartwright understood why her award was given
last; it was the only one with a million dollars tacked on.
“It was a wonderful surprise,” said Mary Ann Conron,
PALS board member and public relations chair. “Councilman
Smith and his staff have worked so hard, and we are so fortunate
to have Nancy on our board of directors. She’s a gracious
lady.”
Conron, who has been volunteering with PALS for 16 years,
says the Youth Center is both for poor children and those
of affluence.
“There are a lot of latch-key kids in our neighborhoods
in the North Valley,” she said. “Both parents
work, and all it takes for a good child from a good family
to go down the wrong path is to get into the wrong crowd.”
She says the Youth Center will make “wrong crowds”
less prevalent across the region by giving kids an alternative
to gang activity and other antisocial behavior.
Another board member, and chairwoman of the North Valley
Regional Chamber of Commerce, Victoria Bourdas, is elated
by last week’s events.
“I’m so excited; I’m beside myself,”
said Bourdas, who was in India during the announcement and
only learned of the grant during North Valley Community News’
interview with her. “I flew in on Friday and I’m
blown away by this information. We will have so many more
resources by having a new youth center. The sheer size of
the [planned] center will help us have a computer center and
sports activities for underprivileged children.”
Every couple of years, the chamber “appoints”
an honorary mayor, in hopes that the individual will be an
effective part of the its and other groups’ efforts
to better the quality of life in the North Valley, an area
that includes Northridge, Chatsworth, Granada Hills, North
Hills and Porter Ranch.
Commenting on Cartwright’s recognition by the city council,
North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce president Wayne
Adelstein said:
“I’m so proud of Nancy. When she approached me
and told me she wanted to get involved in a community cause,
I sensed an interest when I suggested PALS, but I didn’t
think for a moment that she would become so involved and such
a driving force. Her generosity and concern for others, especially
children, makes her a true community treasure.”
Last year, Cartwright underwrote a casino night, which raised
more than $100,000 for PALS. Upon learning of the redevelopment
grant, she announced that her company, Cartwright Entertainment
would again host a night of gambling for charity.
“It’ll be in September,” she said. “And,
we learned a lot from last time. This time, we’ll have
a five-hundred-dollar buy-in instead of a thousand dollars.”
Now, with Phase II of the PALS campaign on the horizon,
Cartwright says she’s looking to raise money, awareness
and volunteers to help run the new center with world-class
programs.
“It’s not enough to complain about your community,”
she says. “You’ve got to get in there and contribute
by doing something too. We have a core group of people who
always do everything; we could sure use some help.”
If you are interested in helping PALS in its quest to save
North Valley youth from the perils and temptations of crime,
gang activity and antisocial behavior, visit www.devonshire-pals.org.
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