Funds Raised Contribute to $17 Million Raised by Torrance Memorial Foundation in 2016
TORRANCE, CA, December 16, 2016 – Torrance Memorial Medical Center announced that through ticket
sales, a Lexus Opportunity Drawing, Holiday Boutique sales, and live and
silent auction pledges, its 33rd annual Holiday Festival raised more than
$1.5 million. Having set a goal to transfer $12 million to the medical
center in 2016, the Torrance Memorial Foundation announced at the Holiday
Festival Gala dinner this goal was met with the transfer completed. Through
the community’s generosity, the Foundation raised nearly $17 million
in 2016. Funds raised will benefit the transformation of Torrance Memorial’s
North Patient Tower—dedicated to mother/baby postpartum, neonatal
and pediatric care.
“Each year Holiday Festival not only rings in the holiday season
with an experience that engages and delights the senses, but also raises
millions of dollars to support Torrance Memorial,” said Laura Schenasi,
executive vice president, Torrance Memorial Foundation. “We are
fortunate to have a generous community and army of dedicated volunteers
who helped make this event a huge success. Without them, we would not
have been able to raise the amount we did for our North Tower transformation.”
Additional festival highlights include donations during the “Gifts
from the Heart” of $100,000 each by Melanie and Richard Lundquist,
Loraine and Ralph Scriba, Russell Varon, Andrea and Michael Zislis and
Jeff Neu, Bill and Joelene Mertz and $50,000 by Sam and Rose Feng. In
addition, Ayne and Jack Baker, Ofelia and Emmanuel David, Ellen and Pat
Theodora, and Jackson and Julie Yang each donated $25,000. Russ Barto,
Helaine Lopes, Marilyn and Ian MacLeod, Rick Rounsavelle and Kirsten Wagner,
and Marshall Varon each donated $10,000. Other donors raised their paddles
to pledge $780,000 during the gifts from the heart.
Live auction items included a party for 50 people at the Shade Hotel in
Redondo Beach, donated by the Zislis, Neu, Theodora and Sheth Families.
Priscilla Hunt made the winning bid of $30,000 for this item. Andrea and
Michael Zislis donated a dinner and wine pairing for 10 people at the
Strand House Private Wine Cellar. Ayne and Jack Baker made the winning
bid of $7,000 for this item. Russell and Marshall Varon, owners of Morgan’s
Jewelers donated an 18k yellow gold cuff bracelet. For this, Dr. Hugo
Hool placed a winning bid of $8,000. Sally and Mike Eberhard donated a
trip to The Point at Poipu in Kauai, and Chris and Kelly Rogers won this
item with a winning bid of $6,000. Jackie and Greg Geiger also donated
a trip to Turtle Bay in Oahu, won by Liz and Rich Umbrell with a winning
bid of $14,000. Friends, family and Torrance Memorial Foundation board
members donated a “wine lot,” with wines from California,
France and Italy. Dr. Brian Miura placed the winning bid of $13,000 for
this item.
More than 15,000 community members enjoyed the six-day event hosted under
a 30,000 square-foot white tent on the Torrance Memorial campus. Festivities
included a display of 36 themed decorated trees, a Fashion Show, Gala
Dinner, Santa Lunch, two Seniors Days and the South Bay’s largest
Holiday Shopping Boutique.
As a bonus to the week’s festivities, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
donated 2017 Lexus RX350 as the grand prize in the Opportunity Drawing
which raised over $51,000. Foundation Board member David McKinnie and
wife Kak purchased the winning ticket..
Festival sponsors included: Festival Benefactors – Billee and John
Gogian, Donald and Priscilla Hunt; Festival Sponsors – Torrance
Memorial Medical Staff, Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian, Sunrider International;
Dinner Sponsors – Ayne and Jack Baker, COR HealthCare, The Graziadio
and Calvillo Families, Keenan HealthCare, Owens & Minor, Loraine and
Ralph Scriba; In-Kind Benefactors – G.S. Gaudenti Brothers, Choura
Events, Morrow Meadows, American Business Solutions, Redondo Van &
Storage, Rolling Hills Flower Mart Studio, Morgan’s Jewelers, Toyota,
The Zislis Group; Media Sponsors – Daily Breeze, Palos Verdes Peninsula
News, The Beach Reporter, South Bay Magazine; Tree Sponsors included the
following: Platinum – John and Billee Gogian, Torrance Memorial
Radiology Group, The Teague Family, The Kenneth J. and Eileen L. Norris
Foundation; Gold – Jennifer and Brad Baker, Joan and Chris Caras,
EMCOR, Terry and Joe Hohm, HUB International, Eric and Anna B. Mellor,
M.D., Murray Company, Torrance Memorial Pathology Group, South Bay Pain
Docs, and Vince Kelly, Susan Arbour-Slay, and Rose Straub; Silver –Association
of South Bay Surgeons, Nadine and Ty Bobit, Judy and Craig Leach, Department
of Radiation Oncology, Medline, kpff Consulting Engineers, Lisa and Eric
Nakkim, M.D., and Family, James+Gable Insurance Brokers, Fifi Menzelos,
Allyson and Alex Shen, MD and Family, 2H Construction, Pacific National
Group, Torrance Memorial Emergency Physicians, The Cam Family –
Vinh, Judy, Wilson and Melody, Torrance Anesthesia Medical Group, Inc.,
Torrance Memorial Neonatology Medical Group; Bronze – Lucy and Byron
Kimball; Brighten the Holidays – William E. Kim, M.D., Beach Cities
Internal Medicine, Voya Financial, Eric and Anna B. Mellor, M.D.
The 2015 Holiday Festival Committee includes: Festival Co-Chairs –
Carolyn Snyder and Bev George; Facility Chair – Ray O’Dell;
Boutique Chairs – Ruth Daniels, Chris Pavesi and Linda Roehm; Children’s
Market Place Committee – Cathy Siegel and Debbie Uba; Senior Market
Place Committee – Darol Draggoo and Florence Tebbets; Design Committee
– Celeste Crandell, Ginny Frazier, Robin Panitch and Michelle Rand;
Santa Booth Committee – Angie Scott and Diane Urquhart; Entertainment
Co-Chairs – Shirley Hall and Merla Wilson; Silent Auction Co-Chairs
– Song Klein, Diane Landon, Helaine Lopes and Kathleen Wilson; Santa
Lunch – Luminaries and NOVAs; Fashion Show Co-Chairs – Nadine
Bobit, Linda Perry, Kelli Piken and Roxanne Mirhashemi; Vendor Coordinator
– Nancy Rouse; Finance Co-Chairs – Betty Broughton, Jean O’Dell
and Barbara Smith; Luminaries Representatives – Tammi Wong, Sharon
Coors and Cathy Oda; Opportunity Drawing Chair – Gail Quinn; Publicity
Chair – Mary Rose Jeffry; Volunteer Chair – Irene Goldman;
Officers and Directors – Chris Pavesi, president, Michelle Rand,
vice president, Betty Broughton, treasurer, and Jean O’Dell, recording
and corresponding secretary.
For information about the Holiday Festival, call the Torrance Memorial
Foundation at 310-517-4703 or visit
www.TorranceMemorial.org/HolidayFestival.
About Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Founded in 1925 by Jared Sydney and Helena Childs Torrance, Torrance Memorial
Medical Center is a locally governed, 446-bed, nonprofit medical center
established to provide quality healthcare services, predominantly to the
residents of the South Bay, Peninsula and Harbor communities. Torrance
Memorial seeks to offer the most current and effective medical technologies
rendered in a compassionate, caring manner. In 2012, it joined the ranks
of the top hospitals in the nation by earning coveted Magnet® recognition
from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which recognizes nursing
excellence. Torrance Memorial has also been ranked as one of the best
hospitals for 2016-17 in California and the Los Angeles metro area for
the fifth year straight by U.S. News & World Report, placing the hospital
21st in the state and 11th in the region. The report recognized Torrance
Memorial for providing high performing and quality care in the following
areas: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, congestive heart failure, colon,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hip replacement, knee replacement
and lung. For more information please visit: www.TorranceMemorial.org.
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