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Caring in Capri
On May 3, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center Foundation hosted its annual Spring Gala at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach in Dana Point, drawing guests into the coastal charm of Capri with its La Dolce Vita theme. The event raised a record-breaking $862,000 to support Saddleback Medical Center’s mission to improve community health and expand cancer care services.
Sponsors included Acrisure; Alvarez Enterprises, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Turner Construction Co., Coastal Vein Care, OC Surgeons, California Anesthesia Associates, Elite OC Productions and UnitedHealthcare.
Led by gala chairs Patrick Thomas, managing partner, Acrisure Southwest Region, co-chair, Spring Gala; his wife, Lindsay Thomas, co-chair, Spring Gala, and Christy Ward, chief development officer, MemorialCare’s Orange County Region and president, Saddleback Medical Center Foundation, the evening featured a cocktail hour, dinner and a program. Shela Kaneshiro, CEO, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, introduced a video, Brushstrokes of Hope, spotlighting cancer survivor Susan Smoler’s journey and the care she received at the MemorialCare Cancer Institute.
“The care we provide at Saddleback is truly special—combining cutting-edge technology with a personalized, human touch,” said Kaneshiro. “Events like this help ensure that no one faces cancer alone.”
The Fund-a-Need campaign raised $165,500 to support cancer services, including genetic counseling, nurse navigation, nutrition, and survivorship programs.
The celebration concluded with dancing, a drawing, and live music by Live 61.
Let the Good Times Roll!
The spirit of New Orleans came alive for guests at the Radiant Futures’ annual gala, which was held on April 26 at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach. Gala sponsors included Citizens Business Bank, Banc of California, RDM General Contractors and Pacific Premier Bank. The Fullerton-based nonprofit, formerly Women’s Transitional Living Center Inc. (WTLC), transported guests to the sights and sounds of a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras, where the theme was “laissez les bons temps rouler,” or let the good times roll.
Guests received Mardi Gras beads and enjoyed libations and hors d’oeuvres served up amid a display of silent auctions items. An authentic brass band, led by entertainer Madame Bel, performed New Orleans-style music as they led revelers along a route in the club that led to the ballroom. There, they discovered a Mardi Gras beaded tree and a lagoon featuring a boat and dock moored to a stump at the foot of a grand New Orleans mansion. Once seated, guests soaked in the soulful sounds of jazz, savored Creole-inspired cuisine and raised funds to build a safer, stronger community.
The event raised more than $137,000 to help ensure survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking have access to vital recovery services, including the Housing Key Program that sets survivors up for success, helping them create budgets and working with the community to find permanent housing.
Citizens Business Bank received the 2025 Radiant Partner Award in recognition of more than eight years as a community partner, including sponsoring signature events like the End-of-Year Campaign and the Survivor Holiday Party, volunteering time to assemble Thanksgiving baskets and selecting Radiant Futures as the charitable beneficiary of their annual golf tournament, raising more than $30,000 to help the nonprofit fulfill its mission.
“Every dollar given will help us build a safer community by working to prevent domestic violence and trafficking, and creating pathways to independence,” said Radiant CEO Mark Lee. “Thank you for supporting survivors.”
Reason to Celebrate
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County hosted its annual CASA Celebration on May 17 at Pendry Newport Beach. The evening brought together 260 supporters, all united in the mission to provide trained volunteer advocates for children in Orange County who have experienced abuse, neglect or abandonment. The event raised nearly $1.4 million.
The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception and a silent auction. As guests entered the ballroom, they were transported to the golden age of cinema with a Casablanca-inspired transformation created by Elite OC Productions.
“CASA has a proven model that combats the grim realities of the foster care system. Our mission fills the inevitable gaps within an overburdened, underfunded system not designed to raise children,” said CASA CEO Regan Phillips. “When paired with a CASA, children are more likely to graduate high school, access essential services, build lifelong connections and find permanent homes and they consistently report higher levels of hope.”
This year’s gala honored outstanding supporters whose dedication to CASA’s mission has created lasting impact, including the James P. Previti Charitable Fund, Outstanding Foundation; and Barclay Butera Interior Design, Outstanding Corporation.
The night culminated with a spirited Fund the Mission paddle raise, which alone generated more than $630,000, with donations ranging from $100 to $100,000.
Tarsadia Foundation was this year’s Diamond Sponsor. Entrepreneur Lucy Donahue and philanthropist Karen Jordan were the Emerald Sponsors. Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, the James P. Previti Charitable Fund and the Rohani Family Foundation were the Sapphire Sponsors. Additional event sponsors included Lugano, Sperry Equities, Amazon, Elite OC Productions LLC and Paul Fenner Floral Design.
Bits & Pieces
In May, CureDuchenne Ventures announced an initial $1M investment in Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Entos), a biotech company that develops genetic medicines utilizing its non-viral, redosable Fusogenix PLV delivery platform, which will use this funding to create a muscle-targeting therapeutic to deliver full-length dystrophin for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) … Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire (BBBS OC/IE) unveiled a billboard-sized mural at their Santa Ana headquarters on May 21, created by local artist Carla Roque with help from seven “Big and Little” pairs, to celebrate the transformative power of mentorship, drawing recognition from public officials and community leaders … On May 7, Beyond Blindness raised a record $56,500 during the Orange County Community Foundation’s 24-hour Empowering Possibilities fundraiser, thanks to 87 donors and matching gifts from the Roof Foundation and Caring Path Fund, to support children with visual impairments and other disabilities through early intervention, education, and family services …