On the Town:

The Glendale Quilt Guild attracted some 150 women and one brave man to its monthly meeting at the Glendale Central Library on Feb. 10.

As part of its lively general meeting, those proud of their latest handiwork were first in line for show and tell. One creative quilt after another was trotted out to oohs and ahhs from the audience. A manly quilt of many colors, backed in denim, was showed off by Mt. Washington resident Daniel Marlos. He plans to enter two of his quilts in the guild’s upcoming show in March.

The guild meeting was decorated by 200 Disney-donated polo shirts, displayed at the back of the auditorium stage and on several tables placed around the auditorium. Because Disney staffers take off the Disney logo on all donated material, many “Loving Hands” (a subgroup of the guild) mended the shirts with Americana fabric patches.

Glendale resident Doralee Dohnel, a guild member since 1982, mended 20 of the shirts single-handedly. All 200 shirts will be sent to Haiti via guild member and L.A. guild Councilwoman Gloria Molina. On their way to Haiti, too, are 30 children’s quilts, also stitched by “Loving Hands.”

After a break for Valentine-themed refreshments, guild President Heidi St. Royal reminded her audience, “As quilters, we mend shirts, and we mend broken hearts.”

The 31st annual Glendale Quit Show will be from March 18 to 21 at the Burbank Airport Marriott. The show, themed “Asian Odyssey,” will feature exhibits, vendors and quilt drawings.

In honor of the holiday, a “Be Our Valentine” complimentary luncheon and program was held at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center on Friday. And hearts were the order of the day. Guests enjoyed heart-shaped, pink ravioli for lunch while they listened to “Interventional Cardiology” presented by Dr. Edgar Aleman.

The free event was co-sponsored by the Commission on the Status of Women represented by Chairwoman Paula Devine and the Medical Center’s Guild led by President Georgiana Wu. Medical Center President/Chief Executive Morre Dean welcomed some 400 guests.

Former Councilman Bob Yousefian, a svelte 35 pounds lighter, spoke about his own cardiac event, and Janice O’Connell offered a woman’s perspective of heart attack symptoms. Another personal testimony was given by Janice McCurdy about her close call with heart failure.

Glendale residents with hearts on their minds included Commission on the Status of Women former vice Chairwoman Elizabeth Manasserian and Yousefian’s wife, Sue Eller Yousefian.

Opportunity tickets, enthusiastically sold by Dean’s wife, Katrina Dean, and a silent auction were available with proceeds benefiting two Giraffe Omnibed Incubators for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The World Children’s Transplant Fund, in connection with the Armenian Consulate in Glendale, hosted a cocktail party and fundraiser Thursday. Host Consul General Grigor Hovhannissian welcomed some 75 guests and members of the press. The Public Television Company of Armenia was front and center, and its correspondent Lilit Sedrakyan never missed a beat as she interviewed VIPs.

One of those VIPs — Mark Kroeker — is the founder/chairman of the World Children’s Transplant Fund. He announced that two Armenian doctors will arrive in the United States in March to study pediatric liver transplant methods at the L.A. County-USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Surgeons Gegham Poghosyan and David Dallakyan will spend six months studying under the supervision of Yuri Genyk, surgical director of the Pediatric Liver and Intestinal Transplant Program at Childrens Hospital and assistant professor of surgery at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.

According to Genyk, American surgical techniques can lower the mortality rate of Armenian children who die every year, in part, over the lack of qualified physicians. After the Armenian doctors’ observation and training, they will return to Armenia to share the techniques they learned with other doctors.

World Children’s Transplant Fund Board of Directors members present included Armenia Committee Chairwoman Valerie McCaffrey and Treasurer Steve Getzoff.

To donate funds toward the Armenian doctors’ transportation and living expenses, contact the Armenian Consulate at (818) 265-5900.