Founders Ball Raises $500,000 for Cedars-Sinai

Thalians Mental Health Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center honored Ann Miller and Van Johnson in a musical salute to MGM legends at its 35th anniversary Founders Ball Oct. 13. June Allyson, Kathryn Grayson, Gloria DeHaven, Hugh O’Brian and Lloyd Bridges, along with other celebrities and guests, paid tribute, helping to net more than $500,000 for the center. The event was held at the Century Plaza Hotel. Chairpersons were Robert and Margie Petersen.

* Alzheimer’s Assn. Los Angeles Chapter raised more than $25,000 at its Sept. 24 wine and cheese fund-raiser at 20th Century Fox Studios. Contributions of $1,000 or more entitled individuals to become members of the Ambassadors Club. Proceeds will be used for research and treatment of the disease, and to provide needed services for victims and their families.

* Asian American Drug Abuse Program recently received $7,000 from United Way’s Underserved Geographic Area Project to support AADAP’s Asian Youth Group of Gardena High School. Proceeds are being used to promote cultural understanding between Asian students.

* Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in Inglewood will have a new Excimer Laser Program at the Heart Center, thanks to the $105,000 raised at the 14th annual Freeman Hospitals Celebrity Golf Classic Oct. 15 at MountainGate Country Club. The tournament, sponsored by Marriott Corp., was hosted by Pat Boone and chaired by Freeman Hospitals Foundation board member Pat Alcantara.

* Goodwill Industries will receive $20,000 in net proceeds from the sixth annual “Yachts of Fun” benefit Sept. 23 at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. Proceeds will enable Goodwill to continue to assist the disabled and disadvantaged to become self-sufficient. The gala was sponsored by Goodwill Guild. Co-chairs were Carolyn Powers and Karen Donaldson.

* Children’s Home Society of California will receive $4,000 in proceeds from a free wine tasting and “grazing party” held Sept. 30 at a private home. “La Couronne Auxiliary,” a new Pasadena/San Marino support group, hosted the event, which included a live auction, children’s fashion show and raffles. Napa, Sonoma and Temecula wineries supplied the wines.

* Operation Exodus’ benefit cruise Sept. 30 aboard the Regentsea was attended by more than 100 guests. Shalom Lodge, a unit of B’nai Brith hosted the event, which netted $15,000. Proceeds will help to resettle Soviet Jews in Israel. Uri Ginzberg donated the boat and bar proceeds.

* Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Fashion Industries Guild raised more than $200,000 toward the group’s $2.3-million pledge for the Florence and Duke Becker Building, housing the Department of Medicine, at its annual banquet and dinner dance at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Eileen Ellis is guild president. Ruth Bregman and Enid Goldman were co-chairs.

* Thirteen programs that provide health, educational, legal, employment and training services to women and girls in Los Angeles County are scheduled to share $61,288 from the Los Angeles Women’s Foundation. Those groups are: AVANCE Human Services Inc., Clare Foundation, Clinica Msr. Oscar A. Romero, Comision Femenil de Los Angeles, Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law, Hollywood Sunset Community Clinic, JWCH Institute, Korean Health Education & Referral Center, Los Angeles Working Women 9 to 5, Pomona Valley Council of Churches, South Bay Free Clinic, South Center Family Health Center and Wilmington Community Free Clinic.