SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
The
Loma Linda Report
June 2016
MANY STRENGTHS. ONE MISSION.
Children’s Hospital Foundation Gala raises more than $1.3 million for Vision 2020 Team report
T
he 23rd annual Children’s Hospital Foundation Gala, titled “Illuminate: The Path to Vision 2020,” resulted in $1,312,165 raised to support children in California’s Inland Empire region and beyond. The event, held on Thursday, February 11, at the Riverside Convention Center, was attended by about 1,000 guests. “Each year we are both amazed and blessed by the outpouring of support from our community for our gala,” says Jillian Payne, executive director of Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Our event has grown from 800 to 1,000 guests in the past two years—a change we welcome because it translates into more Inland Empire residents knowing what takes place at our Children’s Hospital every day.” To begin the formal program, Mt. Rubidoux Seventh-day Adventist Church Children’s Choir formed a joyful procession to the stage. They delighted the audi-
ence with their rendition of “This Little Light of Mine,” followed by “The Star Spangled Banner.” Radio personality Heather Froglear, whose own daughter, Peyton, received reconstructive heart surgery as an infant at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, served as emcee for the evening. Chef Robert Irvine, who hosts a number of shows on the Food Network, also made an appearance and helped with the live auction, at one point pledging $10,000 of his own money if someone in the audience would match it. Perhaps the most moving moment of the evening came during a video focusing on Mariah Salomon, who was attacked by a family dog this past August when she was 2 years old. The bite removed much of her nose and cheek, leading her mother, Veronica Peña, to wonder if she would survive and, if she did, what her future might be with a major scar in the middle of her face. Surgeons Paul Walker, MD, and Nathaniel Peterson, MD, were able to re-
Approximately 1,000 guests were on hand to help Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Foundation raise $1,312,165 toward Vision 2020: The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow. The gala was titled “Illuminate: The Path to Vision 2020.”
attach her face, reconnecting blood vessels and nerves over five hours of intensive work under surgical microscopes. The groundbreaking surgery was a success. Within three weeks of the accident, little Mariah was off the ventilator and able to go home. She and her mother were present at the gala and received an enthusiastic welcome from the audience. To view the video, visit www.youtube. com/watch?v=wBb2PTHAQt8. To give to Vision 2020: The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow, visit: lluh vision2020.org.
Mariah and her mother, Veronica, join Paul Walker, MD, one of Mariah’s surgeons.
The Silhouettes, a group made famous by appearances on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, provided a memorable performance highlighting Vision 2020 and wholeness at Loma Linda University Health. Above, the group helped celebrate to final tally.