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LOS ANGELES — The annual City of Hope West Coast Golf & Tennis event raised nearly $950,000 this year, according to Rick Powell, committee co-chair in his address to attendees at the annual post tournament dinner.
He noted that in the chapter’s 31-year history it has raised more than $16 million to support the work of City of Hope. “We are forever grateful for each and every one of you, whether you give $1 or $100,000,” Powell told attendees.
Combining monies raised through the event, both silent and live auctions, and an active text fund-raising effort during dinner, the event continued to highlight the home furnishings industry’s strong support for City of Hope and its ground-breaking research and treatment efforts.
Chuck Reilly, event co-chair and former vice president of marketing at AICO, noted that while some may view City of Hope as a California facility, the center’s growth in recent years coupled with its extensive research efforts extend its benefits across the entire nation.
“If you or someone you love take synthetic insulin for the treatment of diabetes, then you’ve benefitted from City of Hope’s work,” Reilly told attendees.
The West Coast Golf & Tennis Tournament held June 12, in Coto de Caza, Calif., honored Patrick Cory, former CEO and managing partner, Cory Companies; Howard Haimsohn, president of Lawrance Contemporary Furniture; and Doug Sanicola, president of Outdoor Elegance.
This year’s dinner and awards program included an address by Dr. Jeffrey Yoshida, medical director of urologic surgery at City of Hope, who shared a story that highlighted the pioneering and often unique work of City of Hope.
He shared the situation of a businessman from Romania he called “Dan,” who was discovered to have advanced-stage prostate cancer. Working to accommodate his bi-continental lifestyle and a strong preference to incorporate tenets of Eastern medicine, City of Hope was able to develop an integrative medical approach that enabled him to be treated with chemo in his native Romania as well as giving him access to City of Hope’s world-leading position in robotic surgery for prostate cancer.
As a result, Dan is currently in remission, and the treatment “preserved his reproductive structures,” according to Dr. Yoshida. Dan and his wife are currently working to start a family, and he is able to have normal urinary function.
“The point is that for someone to get a treatment plan involving three-to-four specialists and multiple treatment plans normally takes three-to-four weeks,” Yoshida said. “At City of Hope we were able to accomplish that in three-to-four hours. It’s your generosity that makes that possible.”
The 2024 West Coast Golf & Tennis Tournament will honor David Binke, CEO of King Koil and is scheduled for June 10, 2024. For more information, email IHFIevents@coh.org.
