2009 President's Message

 

Welcome to the Valle Monte League, Inc. website. I appreciate your interest in our all-volunteer service organization as we embark on our 59th year legacy of fundraising.

Each year, Valle Monte League invites you to attend our Christmas Tree Elegance© events as a kick-off to your Holiday season. This year we are celebrating our 42nd anniversary to continue our support of these licensed mental health agencies in our community: Family & Children Services, John XXIII Multi-Service Center, The Centre for Living with Dying, Alzheimer’s Activity Center, and new for 2009, Services for Brain Injury. It is through your loyal attendance and support that we have raised over 8 million dollars for these agencies.

Join us for this year’s Winter World of Whimsy

Tuesday, December 1 Brunch and Holiday Office Party
Wednesday, December 2 Afternoon Tea and Children’s Party
Thursday, December 3 Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea
Friday, December 4 The Grand Ball

To receive a Save-The-Date card (mailed in mid-late May) and an invitation (mailed mid-late September), please join our mailing list through our website access or call our hotline at 408-278-8001.

Given these challenging economic times, we will be sponsoring a Shopping Event in May to help us continue to raise funds for our agencies. Please come to show your support by shopping at Bloomingdale’s, Stanford Mall, on Saturday, May 2, 2009. Just say to the sales clerk “I’m here to support Valle Monte League” and your sales will help support our agencies.

I hope to see you at Bloomingdale’s in May and the Doubletree Hotel in December!  See all of our coming events.

Heidi Bonneau
2009 Valle Monte League, Inc. President

 

The Valle Monte League Story

(excerpt from a 1997 CTE program article by Marjorie Pierce)

In 1950, a group of five young Los Gatos matrons was helping a small mental health sanitarium in the Los Gatos mountains called Tre Monte.

They assisted with reading and writing and gave gifts of bed sheets and other necessities. The need was great and, at the urging of Reg Loftus, director of the struggling facility, they formed an organization and called it Tre Monte Auxiliary.

Among the first to join were Sue Lambertsen McCord, Tre Monte president in 1952, Frances Anderson , president in 1953 and her friend, Helen Fisher, who had been involved in fashions in Beverly Hills. Helen suggested they do a fashion show and that she would volunteer to train models. The first show, featuring fashions from Appletons and Prussias - small upscale stores, was held around the pool at the Saratoga Inn. The models included the vivacious always-smiling Chris Snyder, the Lindeman sisters, Tildy and Berta, and another pair of very popular, handsome sisters, Jill O'Brien James and Janet Wright. All were well-known socialites.

A giant step forward were the shows featuring fashions from Hart's Department Store Designer Shop. Alex Hart, who had connections in Beverly Hills, brought up Don Loper to serve as emcee one year and actress-singer Patricia Morison another. Both performed before audiences of 2,000 at the Civic Auditorium.

Unfortunately, however, Tre Monte sanitarium was operating in the red and in 1954 closed its doors. The membership elected to carry on in support of mental health causes and reorganized with a new name: Valle Monte League.

Valle Monte League's first president was Carolyn Swanson. Charity McMahon (later Mrs. Morris S. Lee), her husband, the late Brig. General John E. McMahon, joined by Myrne Shephard, a long-time member, drew up its constitution.

In 1954, Adult & Children Guidance Center (now Family & Children Services) was chosen to be the League's first major beneficiary. In 1971, John XXIII Multi-Service Center was added. The Center for Living with Dying became a beneficiary in 1974, Alzheimer's Activity Center was added in 1986 and the Services for Brain Injury was added in 2009.