Harris, Burke Headline Beyond Differences Event

2012 is shaping up to be a big year for the fledgling Beyond Differences.

On the heels of its teen board of directors garnering a Martin Luther King Jr. Award from the Marin Human Rights Commission, the two-year-old organization is holding its third annual benefit Saturday at the , with state Attorney General Kamala Harris and Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke scheduled to speak. The event is a “Dealing Kids Back In” barbecue, kicking off with a family walk

The organization was founded by political consultant Averell “Ace” Smith and his wife Laura Talmus in the wake of the October 2009 death of their daughter Lili Rachel Smith, a 15 year-old high school freshman who who suffered from Apert syndrome, which causes cranial-facial anomalies. Smith died unexpectedly in her sleep.

The organization is unique in that its board of directors is made up of teenagers, who met in a local café in its early months and now lead large assemblies at middle schools throughout Marin County. Four of those board members live in Mill Valley: Tam High students Bailey Chavez and Jordan Chavez, Julia Kudler from Ring Mountain Day School and Jenna Zimmerman, who attends the Jewish Community High School.

“Beyond Differences has opened my eyes to what is going on around me,” said freshman Bailey Chavez in a statement. “I have learned a lot from others about how to minimize social isolation. I really enjoy being a part of the teen board because we get a chance to talk to our peers and hear some of the stories they are telling.”

That board was honored with the annual Program Award at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Dinner at the Embassy Suites Hotel in San Rafael in February.

“Even though Beyond Differences is an organization with an adult board and lots of projects, the teen board specifically is being recognized for the connections we make with middle schoolers experiencing social isolation,” Redwood high school junior and Beyond Differences board member Talia Rothman said.

The 411: The Beyond Differences’ third annual event is at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 21 at the Mill Valley Community Center. Tickets are $25 per person and $50 per family. Go the Beyond Differences’ website for more info and tickets.