The Crowd: Benefit for City of Hope nets record $2.65 million
If funding can be considered a primary catalyst to providing hope for cancer patients, then the recent Let’s Be Frank About Cancer gala benefiting City of Hope was a resounding success.
More than $2.65 million was raised at City of Hope’s second annual Orange County event, held Feb. 20 at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach. It is reported to be the highest grossing charitable effort ever recorded in the county.
The high numbers are the result of the unbridled generosity of honored guest Sebastian Paul Musco of Newport Beach joining with his friend and fellow platinum sponsor for City of Hope, Milan Panic, former prime minister of Yugoslavia.
Both men came together to rally around event chair Frank DiBella, a cancer survivor and major City of Hope booster. DiBella has widely credited City of Hope — and in particular Dr. Sumanta Pal — with saving his life when many other medical voices proclaimed a death sentence upon him. Pal is the assistant clinical professor of the hospital’s department of medical oncology and therapeutics research. He is also the co-director of its kidney cancer program.
For the past two gala events held at the Balboa Bay Resort, Pal has been a focus of attention and his words have inspired the crowd to give — and give mightily.
More than 400 donors in the black-tie affair gathered to support Pal and to honor DiBella, Musco and Panic.
The triumvirate of old-world gents style put on a Vegas-themed night created around the swingin’ ‘60s, with a nod to the late icon of American crooners, Frank Sinatra.
VIPs attending included Musco’s elegant wife and partner, Marybelle Musco. The philanthropic duo is readying for another big night in the O.C. this coming March 19 to open the Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University. The gala is set to be fronted by Plácido Domingo.
City of Hope Provost and Chief Financial Officer Dr. Steven Rosen, who is also director of its Beckman Research Institute and Comprehensive Cancer Center, was front and center with Dr. Michael Friedman, emeritus cancer center director.
Also supporting City of Hope in a serious way were Mary Jo and Teri Hausman, both representing the Hausman Family Foundation; Wayne and Sherry Smith; John Postma and Kristilyn Goff; and Newport barrister Art Kazarian.
Additional major donors spotted in the black-tie crowd sharing dinner of filet and lobster — created by executive chef Rachel Haggstrom — included Bret Hardin, Michael and JoAnn Sweig, Claudette Kraus, James Meyer and Jody Harvey. Television personality Jann Carl served as mistress of ceremonies.
The centerpiece of the night was the rousing yet emotional honors presented to platinum sponsors Musco and Panic, along with accolades bestowed on event chair DiBella.
Musco, founder of Santa Ana-based Gemini Industries, along with his wife Marybelle have become leaders in Orange County philanthropic circles, very much in a class above and beyond. In addition to providing major funding for the Musco Center for the Arts, the Muscos have created the Marybelle Musco Dance Center at the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana. This in addition to support for countless O.C. efforts in the realm of culture, education, science and civic pursuits.
Panic, now president of MP Biomedicals, a worldwide firm in the pharmaceutical industry, has also used his considerable clout to make a difference for people fighting cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Among them, Panic joined his friend DiBella in supporting research to assist victims of muscular dystrophy.
In a touching moment during the honors, a 16-year-old named Abbey Umali, who’s fighting muscular dystrophy, came onstage to sing a song especially for DiBella, Musco and Panic. The young woman shares history with her benefactors, with a friendship developed over years of supporting research for a cure and interacting with the young girl sharing her story with the public.
“I am so happy that after so many years of you supporting my cause, I can now support yours,” Umali told the audience that had come to support cancer research at City of Hope.
After Umali sang “I Won’t Let Go” by Rascal Flatts, it earned a standing ovation and was followed by Musco and DiBella announcing they will offer a four-year scholarship to Umali to attend Chapman.
Panic jumped in and offered to pay for any additional education Umali wished to pursue. The crowd went wild.
Following the completion of dinner, auction and fundraising, guests danced the night away to the music of Pete Jacobs’ Big Band and the special performance by entertainer Matt Mauser.
Founded in 1913, City of Hope is ranked as one of America’s best hospitals in cancer treatment by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more, visit www.cityofhope.org.
--
B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
