City of Hope’s West Coast Fundraiser Raises Nearly $800K

June 30, 2022  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

The International Home Furnishings Industry Group, one of City of Hope’s oldest and most successful chapters, honored industry veteran Roy Hester, executive vice president of Planned Furniture Promotions (PFP). He and the PFP team mobilized to raise awareness and support for the annual event in six months, a shorter-than-usual window due to COVID-19 delaying the prior year’s event.

“There are many heroes in the 2022 success story, but we know that the real heroes are the ones that we come together for, the patients and families across the country who come to City of Hope in their greatest time of need,” said Rick Powell, committee co-chair for more than two decades.

Caitlin Herron is one of those real-life heroes. The 18-year-old cancer survivor addressed attendees of the dinner that concluded the June 13 event. Diagnosed at age 12 with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia, Herron sought treatment from City of Hope, which has experience with this type of cancer. Herron has been cancer-free for five years, and she shares her story to put a face on the disease and the lifesaving results of City of Hope’s world-class research, treatment and care.

“It’s not just adding years to life, but life to years. That’s the reason we’re all here,” said Edward Kim, M.D., M.P.H., who also spoke at the culminating dinner. Kim is senior vice president and physician-in-chief, City of Hope Orange County, and professor and vice physician-in-chief, City of Hope National Medical Center.

He updated sponsors and attendees on City of Hope’s recent accomplishments and initiatives, which include acquisition of Cancer Treatment Centers of America and its network of care centers in Georgia, Arizona, Illinois and California; Hope Village, an on-site hotel for patients and their families who are receiving treatment or transitioning out of hospital care; outpatient facility expansion, including the addition of more than 26 national experts in oncology and endocrinology to City of Hope faculty for a new $1 billion Irvine campus and network of care in Orange County; and continued advancements in drug development and manufacturing to find new therapies and cures for cancer and diabetes.

“One in three people are going to be diagnosed with cancer. It’s unfortunately a fact. Cherish each other tonight as you think about that. It’s your time and donations that make a difference,” Kim said.

“In addition to all the sponsors, more than 50 volunteers made the event come together as smoothly as possible, and we could not have done it without them,” said Irene Crowell, committee co-chair for 20 years. Crowell coordinates every detail of the annual event with City of Hope.