South Lake Tahoe community gathers to celebrate Momentum's premier on PBS

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It was a packed house on Tuesday at the South Lake Tahoe celebration of the newly released PBS version of Momentum, a film directed and produced by locals Michelle Aguilar and Lane Power.

Momentum takes you on the inspiring journey of two friends, Ryan Wallace and Chris "Coco" Cocores who find hope, resilience, and new beginnings through MMA, showcasing the transformative power of sports, mentorship, and community, both inside and outside the ring. It is a story of resilience, the incredible power of mentorship, and willpower in the face of adversity.

The heartwarming celebration on Tuesday was held at the South Tahoe Association of Realtors Building. It was an evening filled with food, drinks, a silent auction, and of course, the movie, all aimed at supporting the expansion of the Momentum Mentors program to more youth in the area and beyond.

Attendees were treated to pizza, popcorn, and candy as they settled in to watch with other families, friends, and community members.

There has been a strong community support for the film, and now with the emerging Momentum Mentors initiative that came out of Michelle and Lane's production.

During the event, the first group of Momentum Mentors was honored for their invaluable contributions to piloting and creating the initial version of the youth mentorship process with the Marcella Foundation. Their dedication and hard work have laid the foundation for a program that promises to inspire and support students across the community.

Ryan Wallace, the Marcella Foundation director of leadership and volunteer engagement, shared his thoughts on the evening.

“Goal one was to have fun and celebrate Momentum airing on PBS, pizza, popcorn, candy, and a great movie, easy, that goal was never in doubt," said Ryan. "The scarier mission was to ask for and imagine people supporting a new program, a young foundation, and me as an individual. It was impossible not to harbor some uncertainty, but Tahoe continued its streak of being an unrivaled community. Incredible outpouring of support, our gratitude extends beyond the scope of words for the boost the participants of this event provided us. I promise to prove those contributions were well placed. People want to help, and people need help. Momentum Mentors has the tools, the resources, and a relentless desire to connect them. I envisioned this, and seeing it materialize is akin to rocket fuel poured into my tank. I sincerely wish this feeling on everyone and encourage all to work hard for their dreams. Watch Momentum, share it and please support Marcella Foundation’s work and Momentum Mentors."

The event featured a silent auction with contributions from local businesses and individuals, including The Heartbeat Brand, the Uppendahl Family, the Wallace Family, the Tahoe Arts Project, and Mile High Fishing Charters. Petal Kindness generously donated flowers.

Key sponsors for the Momentum Documentary included: Marcella Foundation, Tahoe Arts Project, Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival, South Shore Glass and Door - Champion Sponsor, South Tahoe Association of Realtors - Event Space Sponsor, Vinny's Pizza - Food Donations.

Individual sponsors who made significant contributions included Bradley Herman, Doug Rosner, Peggy and Phil Blowney, Thea and Art Wendorf, Mary Alber, David Borges, and Susan Sybert.

For more information about sponsoring Momentum Mentors or to get involved, please visit the Marcella Foundation's website - https://www.marcellafoundation.org/.