Nancy Reagan had been a supporter of the Foster Grandparents program during her days as First Lady of California. When she and her husband moved to the White House, Mrs. Reagan seized an opportunity to bring this outreach to national attention.
Foster Grandparents are volunteers, aged 55 and older, who work primarily in a school setting, assisting children who are falling behind in their studies. While the volunteers may serve as mentors or tutors, the children they assist can be disadvantaged, scarred emotionally, or fighting some sort of physical or mental handicap.
“To Love A Child” became the name of the campaign to bring awareness and encourage more involvement in this endeavor nationally. Mrs. Reagan co-authored a book of the same title, and a song was commissioned as well. Joe Raposo wrote the music, Hal David contributed the lyrics, and all proceeds from the sale of the book and subsequent recording by Frank Sinatra went to the Foster Grandparents organization.
On October 19, 1982, a special luncheon was held on the White House lawn and 600 children were invited. Johnny Grant served as MC and the highlight was a live rendition of “To Love A Child” sung by Sinatra, with Don Costa assisting in the conducting of the military orchestra and children’s chorus, and Nikki Costa as the soloist. Following the initial performance, Mrs. Reagan was invited to join the performers onstage for an encore, and the proceedings were carried live by CNN.
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