Pasadena Woman Receives ‘Spirit of Life’ Award

Betty Johnston, whose family is prominent in Southern California’s horse-breeding industry, has been awarded the Spirit of Life award for her contributions to the City of Hope National Medical Center.

The award is the highest honor the medical center bestows on people for their donations of time, money or resources, said spokesman Joe Broady. The award was presented by the Medical Center Aides Group, one of 500 organizations nationwide that supports the medical center, Broady said.

Johnston, of Pasadena, and her family have long supported the medical facility by boarding race horses donated to the medical center.

“It’s a dream come true,” Johnston said. “Of all the things you try to do through life, this culminates the entire thing.”

Last Monday’s award ceremony, held at the Santa Anita Race Track, was organized as a fund-raiser and brought in about $200,000 for the center, Broady said. An auction for racehorse stud services, donated by breeding farms, accounted for $60,000 of the total.

All of the money will be used for a Betty Johnston Pediatric Fellowship to support work at the center’s Beckman Research Institute, said Johnston, whose great-grandson suffers from a brain tumor.