Perhaps as an aid to help inspire San Diegans to stretch their New Year’s resolutions a little further this year, The Jenna Druck Foundation will host “The Secret to Having Your Best Year Ever” on Saturday, Jan. 19 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the San Diego Sports Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd.
A panel of eight inspirational speakers are scheduled to speak, including author and motivational speaker Anthony Robbins; “The One-Minute Manager” co-author Ken Blanchard; JDF Founder Dr. Ken Druck; former San Diego Charger Miles McPherson, now reverend at the Rock Church at Liberty Station; and teachers of the national bestseller, “The Secret”: John Assaraf, Lisa Nichols, Rev. Michael Beckwith and Bob Proctor.
“I can tell you that it’s lifting my heart and the hearts of lots of people around me,” said Druck, the foundation’s founder. “It is a pure act of inspiration to be a part of something with everyone involved. We have almost overnight assembled an amazing event team, including our own staff and board that is doing a heroic job at getting the word out about this first-time-ever event in San Diego.”
Speakers will touch on subjects such as how to achieve New Year’s resolutions, maintaining one’s health, increasing income, nurturing relationships and creating success and happiness, said JDF program director Leanne Tibiatowski.
“Those attending this event will be treated to some of the world’s top motivational speakers and life coaches assembled in one place,” Druck said. “The beneficiaries of this event will be the 600-plus families in our community who lose a child every year, including many of them in the Point Loma area, by the way.”
The Jenna Druck Foundation, a nonprofit organization that develops strategies to assist families in coping with the loss of a child, was founded in 1996 by Druck to honor his daughter, Jenna, who was killed in a bus accident while studying abroad in India, according to Tibiatowski.
Druck said his work as part of the foundation is how he honors his daughter every day.
“And for me personally, I have the blessing and privilege of being able to honor my daughter, Jenna, by doing something good in her name by touching the lives of many people in her name,” Druck said. “So, for me, these past 12 years since her death, the work of her foundation is a form of honoring for me and saying ‘ I love you,’ to my daughter.”
All proceeds from the event will benefit the foundation’s two programs, “Families Helping Families,” which helps families in times of grief, and “Young Women’s Leadership,” which provides leadership training programs to young women.
“Many of us go through tragedies in our lives and we’re faced with a choice to either feed our dispair or to feed our sense of hope,” Druck said. “All the people who come to our ‘Families Helping Families’ program do so because they have made the choice to feed their sense of hope. Our slogan is ‘Hope loves company.'”
Druck said JDF has often been called upon by the Point Loma community to lend support.
“We’ve been community partners with the community of Point Loma, especially Point Loma High School, for throughout the entire life of our foundation for the past 12 years.” he said.
Because JDF also functions as a world-renowned crisis management resource, Druck said he and his team were also called upon by New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to assist families affected by tragedy after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as after Hurricane Katrina and during the San Diego wildfires.
“The common thread is that through all of theses tragedies we’ve been involved in, whether it be 9-11, Columbine, or Santana High School shootings, Hurricane Katrina, or the San Diego wildfires, is that it brings out the very best and most compassionate side in all of us,” Druck said. “The challenge is to be compassionate every day of our lives and to discover our godliness in the way we treat one another.”
In recognition of its achievements, Druck said The Thursday Club, a local philanthropic organization, has selected the JDF as an honoree.
“Not only do we want people to join us on Jan. 19 in support of our programs benefiting young women and bereaved families, we would love to invite everybody in Point Loma to join us on March 7th at the Thursday Club for their annual gala called Tiki Lounge.”
Tickets for the event are tax-deductible and start at $29.
All proceeds will benefit Jenna Druck Foundation and its programs. To purchase tickets, visit www.YourBestYearEver.org.