A Note from Francesca Radics de Solomon (SASY! Co-Founder)
We are extremely honored to have the dedicated and passionate volunteers on Team SASY! this year. This is a highly motivated, go-get-em group of individuals which this Foundation needs to succeed. I look forward to another hugely successful 2012 to Stop Animal Suffering Yes!
Francesca Radics de Solomon
Treasurer & Co-Founder
Meet the 2012 SASY! Team Members & Volunteers
Rita DeVore
President & Event Coordinator
President and Event Coordinator Rita DeVore was born and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan. Married to Steve DeVore they have two children and three grandchildren and one more on the way. Rita has three dogs named Topo, Ratatoille, Tintin and the occasionally rescued street dog. All are dogs from the streets of Costa Rica and are – in her words – “great B&B dogs”. Rita came to Costa Rica in 2007 after over 25 years in the restaurant and catering business, looking for a warmer climate, affordable health care and a less stressful lifestyle. After opening Casa Bella Rita Boutique Bed & Breakfast in 2007 she realized she needed something else to complete her days, so she contacted SASY! for any available volunteer work. It just happened to be just before the Annual Charity Auction held in November and she worked the auction signing in and checking out guests. After the auction, Rita made the statement that she thought she had some ideas that might work for the next auction. Rita is the now the Event Coordinator and SASY! President. Rita would like to take SASY! to the next level with better communication practices, web information and education initiatives for children to teach them a better way to treat animals. She believes the poor suffering animals on the streets deserve a better life and she will do all she can to make sure she helps them.
Diana Holder
Vice President
Diana Holder is the Vice President of SASY! and manages and organizes all the SASY! clinics throughout Costa Rica, even in the worst and most dangerous areas. She was born in the United States but raised in Costa Rica. As a young girl Diana use to pick up stray animals from the streets of Costa Rica and realized from an early age that her goal in life was to help make the world a better place for animals. She started volunteering for Last Chance for Animals (LCA) in Los Angeles, California while studying at UCLA. There she met Chris DeRose, an animal rights activist, who showed her the world of animal cruelty and the fight being done against it. Upon her return to Costa Rica, she began to organize low cost spay/neuter clinics in poor areas in San Jose which then expanded to all over the country. Diana helped start SASY! after responding to a cruelty case with Francesca Radics de Solomon. Currently a wedding photographer and the mother of a toddler, Diana also has 16 dogs, 3 cats and a horse. She is passionate about the humane treatment of animals therefore she rescues, rehabilitates and finds homes for dogs and cats as well as organizes spay/neuter clinics.
Francesca Radics de Solomon
Treasurer & Co-Founder
Francesca Radics de Solomon, Treasurer and co-founder of SASY!, is an entrepreneur. Married to Howard Solomon and living part-time in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Francesca’s passions are her work, SASY! and her Peruvian horses. While owning and operating a small production facility in Barrio Cuba, San José, she taught her employees to take action by bringing injured, sick, mistreated and tortured animals to her factory. They would be spayed or neutered, brought back to health and placed in new homes. It was part of the company culture. Francesca met Diana Holder in 2005 and together they orchestrated the lifesaving removal of three animals from a mentally ill man that tortured and killed dogs. After this horrible event the concept of a fund raising organization was conceived. Francesca invited her mother-in-law, Lili Hale, to co-found the organization and they have never looked back. Along with Diana Holder they had their first meeting and the name SASY! Stop Animal Suffering Yes! was decided and the mission of SASY! was set into place.
Stephanie Anne Krueger
Secretary
Stephanie Anne Krueger has had the title of Secretary for SASY! since 2009. Originally from the state of Michigan and now residing in Costa Rica since 2000, Stephanie is married to Jim Krueger and the proud mother of two beautiful Zaguates, street dogs, named Chocolatte and Risotto.
While visiting Costa Rica for the first time in 1998, Stephanie discovered perfect weather, wonderful food, friendly people, pristine beaches and many stray animals. She was concerned about walking in town at night due to the many dogs traveling in packs searching for food – not knowing whether or not it was safe. She continued to see the dogs and learned that they were not to be feared but that they needed help and a loving home. When she met Francesca Radics de Solomon she learned about SASY! and knew that this was the organization for her.
Volunteering and then joining the Board of Directors in 2009, she has been fortunate enough to be hands on in many of the events throughout the year raising funds for various organizations and clinics in Costa Rica.
She has noticed a decline of strays on the streets over the past few years and knows it is due to organizations like SASY! and the hard work and tireless hours put in by many of the small groups throughout Costa Rica that work to control the animal population.
Lili Hale
Fundraising & Co-Founder
Lili Hale, co-founder of SASY! was born in Paris, France. Her family moved to the USA where Lili lived and went to school in Detroit, Michigan. Lili received an ASID degree in Interior Design and was well known for her work, especially for many famous Motown artists. Lili moved to Costa Rica in 1991 to be near her family that had already relocated.
SASY! was created in 2004 by Lili and her daughter-in-law Frances Radics de Solomon, making the goals of the organization the prevention of inhumane treatment of animals through fund raising which in turn helps fund clinics to stop the over population of animals.
Lili loves to play bridge and has been on the board of directors for The Women’s Club and Newcomers Club of Costa Rica.
Laurel Harry
Board Member (Vocal)
Board member Laurel Harry was born in France, raised in the United States, and has lived in Costa Rica since 2004. She joined SASY’s ranks in the early days and has been actively involved ever since. Laurel had participated in planning several charity auctions in the U.S., and brought her experience to bear in creating the very first SASY Auction years ago. She has also worked as a professional writer and editor and has been involved in many aspects of SASY’s education, public outreach, and marketing initiatives. Laurel is married to Kevin who also volunteers for SASY! and has two children, two dogs, two cats and a hamster.
Scott Breuninger
SASY! Volunteer (Videographer)
Scott hails from Westport, Connecticut. He has lived in Costa Rica over two years now and intends to reside here permanently. He has two children, both attending college. Scott is an FAA certificated pilot and PADI certified open water diver. Scott volunteers his time to shoot videos at clinics and other SASY! projects. He currently is a Senior Writer, Director and Producer of video and graphic communications. Scott’s experience encompasses consumer and industrial executive communications, Madison Avenue agency advertising & communications and national TV network primetime television series production. Scott provides independent creative consulting and creation from his company, Comunicacion Integral Creativa, in Escazú. You can view Scott’s work by clicking here to visit the Comunicacion Integral Creativa website.
Rob Howell
SASY! Volunteer (Web/Print Designer)
Rob has been associated with SASY! for more than four years. As a former SASY! Board Member, Rob runs the SASY! website as well as the many print ads and posters. He also creates the multimedia slideshow for the Annual Charity Auction each year. Currently Rob lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Meredith, and beautiful 16 month old daughter, Lola. Returning home to Indianapolis in November 2011, he and his wife brought back two beautiful Costa Rican street dogs named Zara and Zoe. Currently, he runs his own web development and design company called Third Echo Design. You can view Rob’s work by clicking here to visit Third Echo Design.
