Casino night benefits hospice care

Joyce Rudolph

In honor of the 60th anniversary of VNACare Home Health and Hospice,

“The Fabulous ‘40s” Casino Night is planned beginning at 6 p.m. Oct.

18 at Castle Green Hotel, 50 E. Green St., Pasadena.

Co-chairmen of the gala are Sue Brown and Mark Hineman.

The Glendale-based organization has been offering 60 years of

dedicated service, giving to the communities of Glendale, Burbank and

Pasadena, Brown said.

“It started as the Visiting Nurse Assn. in the 1940s with home

health care, which the organization still provides today, along with

a full hospice care program for terminally ill patients that includes

counseling and bereavement assistance to the families,” she said.

Proceeds from this event go to care and/or medication for home

health and hospice patients who are underinsured or have no

insurance, she said.

Organizers promise guests will be treated to a glamorous evening

reminiscent of the 1940s era. There will be casino games like

blackjack, roulette and craps, along with food, a silent auction,

prizes and dancing to 1940s music played by Park Avenue West, which

is directed by Murray Middleman. One of the opportunity prizes is

$500 cash.

Three people will be honored during an award ceremony. They are

Arnold von Massenhausen, receiving the Patrick Liddell Award; Ken

Scott, who is the Volunteer of the Year; and registered nurse Nora

Derian, being presented the Employee of the Year.

“I think it’s important to honor them because we are very

dependent on volunteers who visit the patients, deliver gift baskets

to the caretakers at holidays, assist at flu clinics and volunteer

for office duties as well as fund-raising events like our golf

tournament every year,” Brown said.

Also recognized will be physicians participating in the program

and corporate sponsors.

Tickets are $125 and can be reserved by calling Lynn Weiner at

956-1860. The reservation deadline is Oct. 13.

VNACare was established in 1943 by the Glendale Community Chest.

It is a nonprofit Visiting Nurse Assn. dedicated to providing home

health, hospice and wellness services to area residents.