JMMF BeneFiesta:
Evening of Love, Life and Legacy
Easy Reader with Photos by Ken Pagliaro
The annual BeneFiesta honors the legacy of Jimmy
Miller, a waterman, founder of Camp Surf, Los
Angeles County Lifeguard, Junior Guard instructor,
writer, and traveler.
This year’s BeneFiesta, on Saturday, July 22, also
honored Kevin Sousa, the beloved Jimmy Miller
Memorial Foundation Clinical Director.
During his seven years as clinical director, Sousa
worked the Wounded Warrior Battalion West, with at
risk/at promise children, health care workers on the
front lines in the battle against COVID, the addiction
and homeless populations, and JMMF’s newest participants
— the special needs young adults from the local
Friendship Foundation and Mychal’s Learning Place.
In addition, this year’s BeneFiesta honored Pat Dietz
of Dietz Brothers Music, the longtime music teacher to
hundreds of South Bay families.
And finally, the evening honored designer, mom and
long time JMMF supporter Talia Fredericks. All were
taken from us this past year.
More than 300 guests attended this year’s
BeneFiesta, at the Jennifer and Jeff Wallin home on
Terraza Place in Manhattan Beach. Instead of a parting
goodie-bag, guests were welcomed with bracelets,
designed for BeneFiesta by local jeweler Energy Muse.
Loncaros (the California version of Lonkero, Finland’s
traditional drink) were served while host Jeff Wallin
answered questions about his 1967 Sunbeam Tiger.
