Last night’s Search for the Cause, Just Green event, was an evening of pride, joy, tears and gratitude - and that was just inside me, a guest in the audience, so I can only imagine the fullness of founder Judi Shil’s heart. With speaker after speaker sharing  touching stories of working with Search for the Cause, the evening was a testament to Judi’s vision and passion, and the amazing work of the organization over the past six years. Founded in 2002, Search for the Cause gives voice to community concerns about the increasing rates of cancer, and seeks to bring community together to search for the cause, seek solutions, and strive to become a healthier, more sustainable citizenry. Toward that end, winner’s of the Mt. Tamalpais Award were acknolwedged with baby redwood tree awards going to Skip Berg, Jolyn Bibb, the luminescent Jane Iredale, Assemblyman Mark Leno, Jeremiah McElwee, Hilary Sturtevant, and Kris Brewer, whose acceptance speech, honoring her own children and parents, had tears rolling down my cheeks as I listened to her and looked down at my sweet son, asleep in my lap after he chose to come with me rather than play with his cousins! A large part of the Search for the Cause’s work involves teens, giving a platform to inspired young voices and helping them realize a sense of self-efficacy and power through campaigns such as the Healthy Schools Initiative and Teens for Safe Cosmetics. Illustrating just how far one person’s little idea can grow, this weeks sees Whole Foods launching Teens Turning Green, a natural and organic skin care line developed by Judi and her team including daughter Erin Schrode 17, Carly Wertheim (left), 16, and Emily Packer, 15. It was an honor to be at last night’s event and even more of an honor to share this journey with Judi. She is an inspiration and role model for many. Myself included!