On the Town: Annual fundraiser shows lots of heart for local hospital
“The Magic of Love” was in the air, and it was also the theme of the annual “Be Our Valentine” luncheon presented by the Adventist Health Guild this past Thursday.
Gathered in the largest party room of the Oakmont Country Club were 130 women and a smattering of men. All were there to support the hospital’s Play to Learn Center. While women wore Valentine red, a red tie or two could be spotted among the men.
Many arrived a couple of hours before lunch to explore the boutique and silent-auction offerings.
A popular booth featured a variety of handbags. Former Glendale resident Irene Magallanes perused the colorful purses from “Classy Bag Lady” Lea Karp of Sherman Oaks.
According to guild officials, 20% of the booth’s profits will be donated to Adventist Health Glendale.
Opportunity drawing tickets at four for $20 went quickly. Baskets of adult beverages were favorites. Guild member Camille Levee donated a bottle or two of bourbon to add to the Valentine partying.
The program began with Anita Aghajanian, guild president, welcoming her audience and introducing hospital chaplain Alice Zulli, who gave a brief history of Valentine’s celebrations around the world.
In Japan, on Valentine’s Day, women give men chocolate, often homemade. Boyfriends, lovers and even male co-workers could be recipients of the sweets.
Zulli gave a blessing on the food, some of which had already been discreetly consumed in the form of rich chocolate candies on each table. Succulent chicken was provided for the meat eaters and vegetarian plates were served for the vegetarians.
Marina Raines, immediate past president, recalled her mother’s passing soon after last year’s Valentine luncheon. Raines then introduced young singer Gemma Bito-onon, who sang “Where is Love” a capella after a sound-system glitch.
The heart of the program was the introduction of the two “Counting Our Blessings” honorees by foundation president Irene Bourdon. The first was guild board member psychologist Marguerite Marsh, who with her husband, the late surgeon Dr. Robert Marsh, have been devoted friends of the hospital for many years.
Marsh stays close to the hospital as a member of its Live Well Senior program. In fact, she had to leave the luncheon early, so she wouldn’t miss the start of her Balance Fit class.
Exercise clothing in her car, Marsh was ready to change out of her fancy duds at the hospital’s Community Services Center.
Longtime guild member and hospital supporter Jenik Akopian was also honored. Akopian said she believes in supporting the elderly “because they helped build the community” and Armenian American youth because “they will build the future.”
Also close to the heart of guild members is the Play to Learn Center at Adventist Health. Traci Jones-Martinez, the center’s director, described the family-centered program, saying, “We serve about 450 families and provide 600 hours of therapy a week to special children with developmental disabilities.”
The therapy includes “self-regulation,” with which autistic children learn to modify their behavior through sensory interaction. The center offers iPads, which “talk” to the children.
The Play to Learn Center also offers field trips and camps so that social skills may be developed. A popular outing is the Los Angeles Zoo.
Guild member Mercy Velazquez then took the podium to raise funds for the Play to Learn Center. Velazquez announced that this year’s “Fund-a-Need” goal was $10,000.
Due to Velazquez’s spirited persuasion as auctioneer, that goal was met and then some more was raised for a total of $11,000. The funds will cover $500 for every field-trip bus, a $250 scholarship per child for winter camp and $100 per child per day for summer camp.
The program ended with entertainment provided by magician Brian Regalbuto, also known as “Professor Rags.”
However, the party wasn’t over yet. Boutique booths stayed open for business well into the afternoon.
