Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/551105
torrancememorial.org PULSE | 41 at an early age. Her mother, Iluminada Diego, MD, a pediatrician in Carson for 30 years, fostered the importance of living a life of service and encouraged the entire family to volunteer from an early age in a variety of ways. In fact, Dr. Diego-Malit was a candy striper in San Pedro as a teenager. e Luminaries and Novas programs provide the right conduit to pass on that tradition to her children. Her youngest son, Dylan, 13, is now joining the Novas, while her daughter Christina, 16, is in her second year. Her oldest, Benjamin, 18, just graduated high school and served in Novas for three years, while also volunteering each summer at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. Francesca, 12, will enter the program in two years, where she will participate in ways like her siblings have: making hospitality kits and blankets, baking cookies for events and working the annual holiday festival. "It's helped us be more appreciative and grateful for what we have and more cognizant of those who need extra assistance," says Dr. Diego-Malit. Besides volunteering as a Luminary, Dr. Diego-Malit has also taught Sunday school for 10 years and volunteers in soup kitchens in Long Beach. Her husband, Earl Malit, has become a familiar and comforting face for many at Torrance Memorial, where he volunteers as a Eucharistic minister. Malit also serves as a Eucharistic minister in San Pedro, where he oen assists the homeless. While this much volunteering certainly takes up time and energ y, Dr. Diego-Malit says that she and her husband wouldn't have it any other way. "Children grow up very quickly. It's important to spend time together, and when you volunteer it provides teachable moments while you're giving back. It's time well spent. We all count our blessings every day," she says. So how do Dr. Diego-Malit and her husband find balance between work, volunteering and parenting ? It seems running is the key. In their spare time, the Malits, who owned a running store in Orange County for years, run marathons and half-marathons together. While their lives can get hectic with so much juggling, the feeling of helping others has become a reward in and of itself. "You're happy when you help others. To make a difference in other people's lives not only benefits them— but you." LUMINARY MOMENTS Judy Sipes, a founding member of the Luminaries, has 25 years of wonderful memories. Pulse sat down with her and asked her to share a few of her favorite ones. PULSE: What is one of the silliest moments you had with the Luminaries? SIPES: We were a very creative group, and we decorated a tree for the Holiday Festival each year. One year when the purple dinosaur Barney was popular, we made dinosaur eggs and it turned out to be absolutely hysterical. We used a real heavy starch. We blew up balloons, wrapped colored string around them, and then we deflated them to create dinosaur eggs. Figuring out how to make dinosaur eggs was really funny since none of us had ever done that before. It was trial and error and we had a bathtub filled with dinosaur eggs, and it was a process—a whole lot of laughing! PULSE: Is there a moment that touched your heart, which shows just how powerful the Luminaries can be to those in need? SIPES: The Woman to Woman program began aer my presidency, but it's a terrific program that helps women when they're going through the painful process of losing their hair. Scarves, wig-liners, help with makeup— whatever it takes to enhance self-image is offered. PULSE: What is your favorite fun moment with Novas? SIPES: It happened recently. The Palos Verdes Junior Women's Club awards a scholarship in our son's name every year (the Scott Sipes Scholarship). And this year was a really emotional experience for me, as two scholarship recipients were active Novas. It's so touching. It's such a close community—you see how we're all connected. To attend a membership information meeting and learn more about the Luminaries and Novas, call 310-517-4752. Luminaries founding members: Rhea Tankersley, d'Aulan Gentry, Judith Sipes, JoAnn Fucci. Not pictured: Karna Gottdener.