In 2013, Felicia Greenfield and her then 7-year-old daughter, Danielle, watched a man jump onto the New York City subway tracks to save an elderly stranger. Once everyone was safe, the ladies decided to make sure Ramiro Ocasio got the recognition he deserved. With Ocasio’s approval, the mother and daughter duo began sharing the story with every NYC media outlet they could reach, a skillset likely inherited from Felicia’s aunt, Ronnee Sass, a popular longtime Hollywood publicist.
The heartwarming story went viral. Mr. Ocasio, now known as Ramiro the Hero, used this notoriety to co-develop the Foundation for Education in Honduras together with Jon Henes, a partner in the law firm Kirkland & Ellis where Ramiro still works. FEIH would provide quality education to children in high-need areas of rural Honduras. The concept was something the two men had previously discussed, as Ramiro regularly returned to the country where he grew up, bearing educational gifts and supplies for children – and a large number of those gifts and supplies were often funded personally by Jon.
Ocasio reached out to Felicia to let her know what he was up to, and invited her to be the first FEIH board member. Since then, FEIH has opened 18 new schools, and Felicia and her daughters have been to many of them. Playing a small part in providing these grateful families a chance for their children to succeed has been overwhelmingly impactful, and Felicia often returned to share stories about these experiences with her Aunt Ronnee.
When Ronnee passed away in 2021, Felicia and her sister Lauren were determined to honor their aunt’s memory in a lasting way. Ronnee adored traveling, meeting kind people, natural beauty, laughing children, dancing, and flowers. What better way to honor her legacy than with a Honduran school in her honor? Now they are making this dream a reality;
Felicia and family are attempting to raise $50,000 for her 50th birthday, so that one of FEIH’s next schools can be dedicated to Ronnee’s memory.
About Ronnee Sass
Ronnee Sass was known for her charming personality and dazzling smile, She entered the entertainment business straight out of college at full throttle. She moved to Los Angeles in 1988 to work for Warner Bros and a few years later she met and married professional drummer Evan Diner.
“Ronnee was a consummate professional working across the industry to bring the Warner Bros. library to fans everywhere,” Warner Bros President Jim Wuthrich said. “More importantly, she was a ray of sunshine, always smiling, lighting up any room she entered.”
Producer-director Chris Roe added: “Ronnee was a force of nature. In a business where so many brag about how good they are, Ronnee simply showed her brilliance with thoughtfulness, creativity and a fierce work ethic. Most publicists can’t come close to being anything like Ronnee. She was a shining example of excellence in her profession.”
When not living the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Ronnee adored being home with Evan, a good book, and her dogs. Fur babies Sammy, Lilly, Rose, and Gracie, meant everything to her, as did working in her magnificent garden and then using her flora to create elaborate flower arrangements which she would promptly and proudly post on Facebook. While Ronnee had Jeff and Amy as step-children for over two decades, her nieces Felicia and Lauren considered her a second mother – one they would talk to about anything and everything.
If this fundraiser is a success – there will soon be hundreds of happy children thinking of “Aunt Ronnee” for many years to come.
More About FEIH
The Foundation for Education in Honduras is a 501(c)3, volunteer-driven, charitable organization committed to educating children in high-need areas of rural Honduras. FEIH partners directly with local Honduran businesses and groups to renovate rural school buildings, provide school supplies to children and teachers, and engage the school in cross-cultural activities to improve education in the community. To date, FEIH has built 18 schools, including the only handicapped-accessible public school in Honduras, and hosted three soccer tournaments in which all FEIH schools in Honduras participate.
Although the focus of FEIH is education, several natural disasters caused the organization to pivot and work directly with the Honduran Navy to rescue, house, and feed residents in two communities that were severely impacted by Hurricane Eta in 2020. In that same year, the Honduran Board of Directors and volunteers procured and distributed care packages of food and PPE to FEIH families in 13 towns, reaching more than 10,000 people at risk of being infected by COVID.
Please help us to build a school in Ronnee’s honor,
and keep her memory alive.
Compañero – $100
Provides 4 students with school supplies for an entire year
Primo – $250
Provides a school’s soccer team with uniforms, soccer balls and equipment for the year
Amigo – $500
Provides a class of students with uniforms and school supplies for an entire year
Campeón – $1,000
Provides desks for an entire classroom
Hermano – $5,000
Amount to build a school playground or soccer field
Héroe – $7,500
Provides all desks, blackboards, classroom supplies, and teaching materials for one school
If you would like to donate via check or wire payment, please reach out to FEIH Fundraising Director Ali Krukowski at akrukowski@feih.org
For further information on any of the above, please contact Felicia Greenfield at fgreenfield@feih.org