The Crowd: More than $530K raised in black-tie fight against cancer
Saving lives for people fighting cancer is nothing short of “a calling” for Frank Di Bella. The passion is born out of his own fight for survival after being diagnosed with metastatic bladder cancer in 2011 and told he had a month to live. As a last resort, Di Bella found Dr. Sumanta K. Pal at City of Hope in Duarte. Dr. Pal saved his life.
In the spirit of “paying it forward,” Di Bella, along with a wide cross-section of Orange County community support, has exceeded expectations. Founding an annual fundraising campaign in 2015 to generate significant dollars earmarked for research by Dr. Pal and the City of Hope, now in Orange County in addition to the Los Angeles County location, “Let’s Be Frank About Cancer” has raised more than $9 million dollars. The latest event unfolded recently, once again at the Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach, where it first debuted eight years ago. The 2023 cancer-awareness and fund-for-the-cure black-tie happening honored philanthropists and major donors Kelly and Duane Roberts, supporters of the Di Bella mission for many years.
The Roberts are owners of the historic and beautiful Mission Inn, Riverside. Known as “Keepers of the Inn,” they received the 2023 Frank Di Bella Humanitarian Award. As the platinum sponsors of the evening, the Roberts were joined by other major donors including the Hardin family of Newport Beach, St. Augustine RV, Musick, Peeler, Garrett LLP, and Di Bella with Claudette Kraus. More than $530,000 was raised and donated to City of Hope.
Some 300 guests made the success possible. Dennis Kuhl, chairman of Angels baseball, Shannon Beador of television’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” John DeCero, chief executive of Mechanics Bank, and former “Entertainment Tonight” correspondent Jann Carl as mistress of ceremonies were all front and center for the cause.
Also leading the cancer fight, Annette Walker, president of City of Hope Orange County, addressed the crowd. “Philanthropy holds tremendous power and gives people the chance to live better, longer and healthier lives. City of Hope’s supporters have been central to our story and have helped fuel our vision to bring the most advanced cancer care to the Orange County community. Thanks to generous donors like Kelly and Duane, Frank and the entire gala committee, we are providing our patients access to leading-edge research and pioneering treatments,” Walker said.
Frank Di Bella added, “I am so honored that so many people came to support Let’s Be Frank About Cancer.” Di Bella continued, “Thanks to the help of these contributions from private individuals and local businesses, City of Hope and Dr. Pal can continue to provide the ultimate care, leading-edge research and most importantly, hope to patients like me. And now, with City of Hope right here in Orange County, even more local lives will be impacted.”
“City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center is Orange County’s most advanced comprehensive cancer center. It opened in Irvine last year,” offered Kristin Scheithauer on behalf of City of Hope and the Di Bella event.
“Patients receive fully integrated, multidisciplinary cancer care from prevention through survivorship in one convenient location, where every physician and staff member is solely focused on treating and curing cancer,” she said, adding, “The comprehensive cancer center provides patients with access to more than 500 physicians and 1,000 researchers who only focus on cancer. Patients have access to more than 800 phase one through three clinical trials conducted each year at City of Hope that speed promising treatments years before becoming standard of care.
“The region’s only hospital exclusively focused on treating and curing cancer will open on the site in 2025.”
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