On the Town: Women’s Council delivers $30,000 to baby unit
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital received a special delivery for its neonatal intensive-care unit set to open in September.
Its Women’s Council presented a $30,000 check to Keith Hobbs, the hospital’s chief executive, during the group’s Vintage Tea and Fashion Show earlier this month in the hospital’s council rooms.
The funds were raised over the past year at several fundraisers including a bingo night as well as shopping days at Bloomingdale’s and Talbots.
Hobbs gave an update on the neonatal intensive-care unit.
“What sets our facility apart is that each of the six rooms [is] private,” he said, adding that cameras will be installed in the rooms so family members can check in on their baby.
Funds for the cameras were raised during the hospital’s golf tournament.
“We had hoped to raise $12,500, but we raised just under $30,000,” he said.
Guests were then treated to a fashion show of 1950s vintage clothing while they steeped their choice of teas from around the world in dainty cups.
Matching plates were laden with finger sandwiches, fruit and scones.
Patricia Gilmore, an activity therapist at the hospital, coordinated the event. Commentator was Shawn Fitzpatrick and the models’ assistant was Elsa Spencer.
Models were Navah Raphael, Eileen En, Tessa Rutherford, Lysa Gaignard, Esther Hanna, Sonia Baghdasarian, Carmen Boykin, Eula Warren, Toni Williamson, Diana Telamontes, Lori Sarti and Laura Godley.
Officers were also installed. They were Tiffany Ajaryan, chair, Becky Happach, chair-elect, Stacey Dubowitch, recording secretary, Williamson, treasurer, Khristine Bondoc and Happach, fundraising co-chairs, Wanda Sellers, Alice Arabyan and Dubowitch, membership co-chairs, Kate Kaneko, Teri Rice and Purnima Pachal, program co-chairs, Gloria Cotten, corresponding secretary, Ruth McNevin and Cindy Sawyer, publicity/historians, and Pauline Hendricks, parliamentarian. Pachal is also nominating/resource chair.
Since 1973, the Women’s Council has raised more than $3 million to benefit the hospital.
Comfy quilts are special summer camp souvenirs
A grand salute goes out to the Glendale Quilt Guild’s Loving Hands group for making quilts that have been donated to children attending a camp this summer.
The project kicked off with a 12-hour quilt-a-thon in January. Members joined those of the Glendale Women’s Athletic Club’s Quilters Department at the athletic club’s headquarters to cut fabric and sew pieces together. Work continued over the ensuing months.
Colleen Shier, guild president, and Tina Curran, chair of Loving Hands, recently presented 32 quilts to Laura Landaker, president of the Seven Stars Foundation, which provides a weeklong camp experience for children of military members including the fallen, wounded, active, retired, deployed and reservists.
The foundation also provides military members with financial, emotional and educational assistance.
The quilts will be distributed on the first day of camp to children, ages 7 to 17, and they get to take them home.
The Seven Stars Foundation Inc. was established on Feb. 7, 2007, in honor of the seven crew members on a U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 Casevac (casualty evacuation) helicopter that was shot down in Iraq, killing all on board.
For more information about the organization, visit sevenstarsfoundation.com.
One of those on board was Laura Landaker’s son, Marine 1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker.
“I want to thank you all for making all these quilts for these kids,” Laura Landaker told the group assembled at the First Congregational Church. “You are lifesavers because, normally, we send 40 kids to camp every summer. This year, we will be sending 209.”
Additional quilts were secured from donors after a request was posted on the foundation’s Facebook page. Also, 91 quilts came from members of a church in Frankston, Texas.
Youngsters will receive a backpack filled with a camp T-shirt, water bottle and a quilt. In no time, she said, the quilts are on the bunks.
“They love them,” Laura Landaker said.
JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.