More than 400 people attended Village Shalom’s Ages of Excellence Celebration on Nov. 16, 2011, at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel. The evening included the presentation of the Helzberg Excellence in Aging Award to members of the Sarah and Philip Wang Family Legacy -- three generations of the couple’s offspring who have continued to devote their time, talent, resources and leadership to Village Shalom for decades. Norman King, a dedicated volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the spiritual life of Village Shalom for more than 11 years, received the Stephen J. Schoenfeld Volunteer Recognition Award.

The evening’s guest speaker was Jeffrey Zaslow, Wall Street Journal columnist and co- author of the new book, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, as well as several bestselling books including The Last Lecture.

The event raised more than $254,000 in support of Village Shalom’s financial assistance program, which provides vital support for residents who otherwise could not afford the cost of their care.

Members of the Wang family honored at the Village Shalom Ages of Excellence Celebration included (from left) Missy Wang Love, Bill Love, Danna Kriser, Timothy Wang, Nicole Wang, Michael Klein, Myron Wang, Murray Hendel, Pauline Hendel, Michael Liss, Michele Kaplan, Beth Liss, Jonathan Freiden, Bari Freiden, Darlene Zimmerman, Dr. Floyd Freiden, Gary Zimmerman.

Norman King (second from right) received the Stephen J. Schoenfeld Volunteer Recognition Award from members of the Schoenfeld family (from left): Brett Schoenfeld, Marcia Schoenfeld, and Stacy Schoenfeld Curtis.

Gathered at the beginning of the evening were (from left) Matthew Lewis, president and CEO of Village Shalom; Karen Glickstein, chairperson of the Ages of Excellence Celebration and member of the board; Michael Abrams, chairman of the Board of Directors; and Jeffrey Zaslow, guest speaker.