The year was 1984.
President Ronald Reagan was re-elected in a landslide victory. Michael
Jackson's Thriller won a Grammy for "Album of the Year."
The first episodes of The Cosby Show appeared on television.
And Holiday Festival - Torrance Memorial's premier fundraising event
- debuted as the Festival of The Trees.
Inspired by Fran Limberg and a group of 50 Las Amigas members as a way
to raise funds for Torrance Memorial Medical Center. The initial four-day
event took place in an underground garage and boasted more than 1,600
paid admissions. More than $10,000 was raised from auctioning the trees.
What started out as a labor for love years ago has evolved into an enduring
community tradition in the South Bay, one that represents families, fun,
giving and the spirit of the holidays.
Almost as magical as Santa himself, Torrance Memorial's employee parking
lot transforms into a festival holiday haven. Each year, the magic of
Holiday festival unfolds, and with it grows a most remarkable community
of volunteers that over the years have employed both visionary thinking
and creativity.