Laura Alexandar(aka Rosie)
by Bonnie Monte
If the head of the SVNA social committee needs to be friendly, enthusiastic, and full of great ideas, Laura Alexander is the perfect person for the job. Last year, Laura(aka Rosie) resurrected the Easter Egg Hunt – which Jim Walsh led for so many years and still sponsors – and oversaw the beloved Halloween Party on Adrian Way. She also added some new events: a Tree Lighting in front of her home, complete with caroling and hot cocoa, and a big Day of the Dead Celebration. And she’s just getting started.
Laura and her family have been in their home on MadisonAvenue since 1987. The day they were scheduled to view the house; pregnant Laura’s water broke. That didn’t stop her
husband from taking a look at the house and putting in an offer before heading to the hospital. They raised four boys in that home, and one of their sons now lives right next door, with two children of his own!
“It’s a great neighborhood for outdoor stuff,” she says, recalling how her kids loved playing on Santa Margarita Island and burying treasures there. Laura and her husband Jon appreciate the neighborliness of living here and the roots that run deep. “I first met the boy next door when he was in third grade,” she says. “He and his wife and son now live in that house.” For ten years, her kids ran a lemonade stand out front during the County Fair, an institution for local fairgoers who passed by. “We all take care of each other,” she says of her neighbors. “We’ve always been there for each other.”
Laura has recently retired from a long career as a nurse, but even while working, she was an avid volunteer. Her boys all went to St. Anselm’s School, where she was very involved.
Now she’s turned her boundless energy toward boosting social activities in Santa Venetia. “It’s so rewarding to volunteer,” she says. Laura is brimming with plans: find a corporate sponsor or two, hold a few raffles during the year, re-energize the Labor Day Picnic to be a bigger event, and host a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on June 5.
Understanding that people have busy lives, she doesn’t ask for a big commitment. “People can help however they’re able, even if it’s just an hour or two.” To join Laura’s list of potential volunteers, contact her at rosie.alexander@comcast.net