Hope and Healing
City of Hope hosted its third annual Let’s Be Frank About Cancer Gala on March 11 at the Balboa Bay Resort. More than 400 guests attended the fundraiser, which raised more than $713,000.
The event honored Milan Panic, former prime minister of Yugoslavia and founder of ICN and MP Biomedicals. He was honored for his $1 million gift to City of Hope, which funded the Milan Panic Laboratory for Molecular Medicine.
Frank Di Bella, principal of Frank Dibella Accountancy Corp. in Newport Beach, founded the gala in 2015. He was diagnosed with metastatic bladder cancer in 2011 and told he had only months to live.
Six years later, Di Bella said he credits City of Hope’s Dr. Sumanta Pal, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research and co-director of the Kidney Cancer Program, for saving his life and has made it his mission to support City of Hope’s ongoing research efforts.
Event sponsors included Ancon Marine, Surterre Properties, Chapman University, Medical Waste Servies/Mottra Corp., Gemini Industries, MP Biomedicals LLC and Twila True Fine Jewelry.
Heart for Women’s Health
The American Heart Association Orange County Division hosted its annual Go Red For Women Luncheon at Hotel Irvine Jamboree Center on March 24. The Go Red For Women Luncheon raised more than $547,000, which will fund the American Heart Association’s lifesaving work, including innovative scientific research, bringing health education programs to the community and advocating for policies that positively impact cardiovascular health.
The Go Red For Women Luncheon began with a Health Expo that included mini-makeovers courtesy of Macy’s and a handbag Silent Auction, followed by the luncheon and program.
The Orange County Go Red For Women Luncheon is sponsored nationally by Macy’s and locally presented by St. Joseph Hoag Health.
A Great Drive
Wrapping up the fourth year of the Mazda Drive for Good program, Mazda North American Operations announced in March that it will donate more than $5.4 million to select charities across the U.S. this year as a result of money raised during the 2016 Mazda Drive for Good event. Mazda employees, dealers and partners across the country have also pledged more than 67,500 hours of charitable service this year.
“Being an active member in the community is an important aspect of who we are as a company and what the Mazda Drive for Good program stands for,” said Masahiro Moro, president and CEO of Mazda North American Operations.
The 2016 Mazda Drive for Good charitable event took place Nov. 21 through Jan. 3.
Food for Thought
Table for 10 held its 11th annual culinary spectacular for a sold-out crowd of 350 at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point on March 5.
The event raised more than $300,000 to support programs of Vocational Visions, which helps create pathways to employment for adults with disabilities, and the Teen Project, which delivers educational programs and job training to teens “aging out” of the foster care system.
Legacy Pharmaceuticals International was the event’s title sponsor. It also received the Angel Sponsor Award for its long-term support. Wahoo’s Fish Taco, Green Spring Capital, Wells Fargo Wealth Management, Rutan & Tucker, Electron Beam Engineering, Pacific Foods Investments and Pacific Western Bank were among the other event sponsors.
Bits & Pieces
On April 1, more than 200 Foresters Financial and KaBOOM volunteers joined forces to provide more than 1,000 Fountain Valley-area kids and their families with a safe place to play by building a new playground at the Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley. … More than 60 Orange County law firms donated suits, dresses and professional clothing for Women Helping Women/Men to Work’s 7th annual Suits for a Cause in order to help underserved job seekers have appropriate clothing for interviews.
