Fundraiser is smelling like roses

Treating severely premature babies has been a lot easier at Glendale Memorial Hospital since fundraisers delivered state-of-the-art incubators last year.

Now, officials are hoping those same fundraisers will add to last year’s $120,000 gift with the 21st annual Wine and Roses celebration.

The charity event has raised more than $2 million for the Glendale Memorial Health Foundation to date, and organizers plan to use this year’s funds to help pay for the development of a new Education Center facility.

Event chairman Larry Cimmarusti said this year’s event, to be held at the hospital starting at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 12, will bring food from “24 of Los Angeles County’s finest restaurants,” including the Providence restaurant in Hollywood, owned by “Iron Chef” contestant Michael Cimarusti.

Wine from 24 wineries will also be available at the event, which will include live music, dancing and other entertainment.

“It is out in the street, and then they have the trees lit up, so it’s a really enchanted evening,” Cimmarusti said. “And the food is really spectacular.”

The hospital’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit manager, Kim Caner, said the event is more than just a nice outing.

“The funds that it generates go toward improving quality of life,” Caner said, adding that last year’s funding brought special incubators to her unit that have made Glendale Memorial a leader in treating premature babies.

The $40,000 Giraffe Omnibeds allow physicians to treat babies so small they can fit in the palm of a hand without taking dangerous risks.

“They could actually have a hemorrhage in the brain from too much handling because they’re too premature,” Caner said, adding that the new equipment allows doctors to reduce movement and create a protected environment for the still-developing infants.

“It’s totally controlled,” Caner said. “It’s supposed to act like a womb, reduce sound, reduce light. What we’re trying to do is reduce the stimulants as much as possible.”

Officials are hoping that turnout for this year’s Wine and Roses will be able to generate the funding for more similar projects at the hospital, despite the difficult economic climate.

“Philanthropy is very, very important to the hospital,” said Jeffrey Close, the foundation’s executive vice president.

“Operations alone don’t provide enough cash to let us do the things that we want.”

Tickets for the celebration are $200, and black tie is encouraged.