He also serves on the board of a number
of organizations, including Los Angeles
Children’s Hospital, the National Council on
Adoption and Children’s Action Network.
Another important project for Olmos is
the Latino Book and Family Festival, which
he co-founded in 1997. The event has spread
to seven cities and drew more than 60,000
attendees last year. The festival has particular
meaning for Olmos because he was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was 32.
“It actually becomes an asset,” Olmos
says of the condition, “because you have to
try a little harder to understand things and
comprehend and read.”
Trying a little harder helped Olmos move
from his youth in East Los Angeles to a successful and multifaceted career. “There’s
nothing humans can’t accomplish,” he says.
“It just takes commitment and time.” C
Excerpted from an archive article in
The Costco Connection, September 2002
Danny Glover
on education
Danny Glover’s commitment to education is try, promoting reading and stressing the
no act. Glover, the popular actor who is importance of education and lifelong learning
perhaps best known for his role as Detective as keys to an improved quality of life.
Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon series “Education has made a difference in my
of films, is also a strong force when it comes life, and I can’t wait to see the difference it will
to supporting education and improving the make in the lives of these Costco Scholarship
quality of life for children. Fund students,” says Glover.
“A college education should be a reality The Costco Scholarship Fund was cre-
for anyone who wants it,” says Glover. ated to make it possible—academically,
“Instead, for many underrepresented minority financially and personally—for underrepre-
students it is only a dream.” sented students to attend college. In its first
Glover is board chairman of TransAfrica two years, Costco has raised more than $2.6
Forum and a goodwill ambassador for the million and aided almost 150 students in
United Nations Development Program. He Washington state.
also speaks to children throughout the coun- —Mark E. Stroder
WALLY AMOS: BE POSITIVE
never gets old and is a great testament ing obstacles, he ultimately became a success-to the power of the human spirit. ful author whose autobiography was made
A number of years ago, 60 Minutes II into a movie.
featured a story about the Lost Boys of Even when great challenges occur early in
Sudan. Thousands of young boys, ages 6 our journey, there is an aspect of life that
and 7, watched their homes destroyed enables us to overcome. Have faith; the
and their parents and siblings killed. Not human spirit is alive and well in you. C
Keeping faith in knowing what to do and with nowhere
to go, they started walking with no desti-
thehuman spirit nation in mind. During their five-year Calling all
journey, in spite of watching many of
their fellow travelers die, they never lost pet lovers
I CONTINUE TO BE AMAZED and inspired by the hope. They held on to their books and referred Pets and pet lovers come
power of the human spirit. There are so many to them as their mother and father. in all shapes and sizes.
stories of folks who overcome great odds and After they landed in a refugee camp, their Maybe you run a doggie
challenges to go on and live fruitful lives. one meal a day, for nine years, consisted of day spa, have an animal
My personal list starts with Nelson only flour and maize. But even in the worst of sanctuary on your land,
Mandela, who, after 27 years of being impris- conditions they knew that education was the rescue purebreds
or publish an exotic-pet
oned under the most inhumane conditions, answer. This is another powerful example of monthly. We’d love to hear
wrote the terms of his release. He then pro- the human spirit. your story, or the story
ceeded to be the central figure in dismantling The movie Antwone Fisher tells of a young about your business, that shows your
apartheid and forcing the first free elections man born in prison to a mother who did not love of animals goes far beyond the sta-
ever in South Africa. want him and a father who was killed before tus of devoted pet owner.
Wally Amos is the
founder of Uncle
Wally’s Muffin
Company. You
can reach him at
www.wallyamos.com.
Please write to us at: Pet Project,
As if that were not enough, he placed he could see him. A woman who constantly The Costco Connection, P.O. Box 34088,
himself on the ballot for the presidency and demeaned him, refused him food and did her Seattle, WA 98124-1088; fax to (425) 313-
won! He did all of this without becoming cyni- best to destroy his body and spirit raised him 6718; or e-mail to sponder@costco.com.
cal and vengeful. Truly, this is a story that in a foster home. In spite of these overwhelm-
