Jaime Escalante

Jaime Escalante unfortunately has stage 4 bladder cancer and has maybe two months to live.  Here are two short news segments by local TV stations:

 

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ80Fa7hoao and

 

- http://www.nbclosangeles.com/station/as-seen-on/Jaime_Escalante_Turned_Lives_Around__and_Now_is_Losing_His_Los_Angeles.html

 

He deserves to have comfort and dignity in his last days, so again, if you can, please send a donation to:

"Friends of Jaime"
236 West Mountain Street
Suite 105
Pasadena, CA 91103

Those who wish to make a contribution by credit card can call (626) 793-5300 or download a donation form at: www.edwardjamesolmos.com/PDF/JAIME-ESCALANTE-DONATION.pdf.  There's also a fundraiser in LA this weekend, hosted by James Edward Olmos, the actor who played Escalante in Stand and Deliver.

 

Special kudos to Howard Fuller, who matched my donation, and Chris Stavrou, who just sent $2,500!

 

Lastly, if you work for or have a good connection to President Obama or Secretary Duncan, here's an idea: suggest to them that visiting Escalante and giving him whatever the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor is for education would not only be the right thing to do, but also a very savvy thing to do for a variety of reasons...