"...Last October, Leonard Leonard took
over the annual Dora Moore house tour, raising
$18,000 for the school. 'That pays for both
the art teacher and music teacher at Dora Moore,'...
"Sonja also was the 2001 recipient of
the Clara Barton Society, an annual award given
to the highest local contributors to the International
Red Cross. 'All my money goes to Africa, that's
my only stipulation' said Sonja, who donated
about $10,000 last year...
"Two years ago, Sonja and Lee Lee went
on a humanitarian aid trip to Havana, Cuba,
taking with them $14,000 in medical and school
supplies that they had collected in Denver.
'The people are so very intelligent, and yet
they have nothing,' said Sonja...
"In 1997, when Sonja's longtime friend
and neighbor Marilyn Massey willed her North
Country Club home to the Salvation Army, Leonard
Leonard offered to sell the house commission-free.
Organizing a silent auction, they ended up selling
the home for $242,000, saving the Salvation
Army $17,000 in commission fees. 'It was really
phenomenal, a huge success,' Sonja said. 'It
was a win-win situation for everyone.'...
"Still looking to do more, Sonja is in
the process of developing a program where a
certain percentage of every home sale commission
goes towards housing in a Third World country...
"Other annual events include an Easter
egg hunt, pumpkin patch and coat drive for local
underprivileged children. "We don't do
anything fancy, I want to stay simple and plain,'
Sonja said. "We're all family here.'" |