Hospital Board Chair Jim Romo, Foundation Director of Donor Engagement & Special Events Gloria Rico, Hospital President and CEO Dan Ausman, Crystal Ball honorees Aner and Rebecca Iglesias, Crystal Ball Co-Chairs K. Heiner Vogelbach, MD, and Patty Nijjar, Foundation Board Chair Stephen Soldo, MD, Foundation President Mike Driebe. [Courtesy photo]
The Methodist Hospital Foundation raised a record-setting $780,000 during its 32nd annual Crystal Ball festivities at the Pasadena Convention Center in October, according to a statement by the Foundation. Proceeds will go toward the purchase of advanced technology and innovative treatments for Methodist Hospital in Arcadia.
“It was so great to be back in person at Crystal Ball, and every one of the 590 attendees enjoyed a wonderful evening,” Mike Driebe, Methodist Hospital Foundation President, said of the Oct. 9 event. “With funds raised, our hospital is exploring the purchase of a new Da Vinci surgical robot, which is less invasive and enables shorter hospital stays, quicker recovery times, and even better outcomes for patients. In addition, we are developing plans to construct a Hybrid Operating Room, which enables surgeons to perform minimally invasive complex procedures, and can be instantly be converted into an operating room should the need arise.”
The black-tie event included a hosted reception, fine dining, a silent auction, and a live auction. The evening also featured a moving video of a lifesaving heart attack intervention with Dr. Grace Huang, a cardiologist at Methodist Hospital, and her patient.
The Foundation’s statement said the video inspired the fund-a-need live donations at the event. Fund-a-need generated more than $257,000, the statement added. The live auction raised $96,050 and a silent auction raised $43,421, it continued.
The event also included recognition for Crystal Ball honorees Aner and Rebecca Iglesias for their ongoing support and philanthropy of the hospital. The Iglesias each responded and spoke on the significance of this recognition and encouraged the community to become more involved with the hospital.
Longtime hospital supporters and event co-chairs Patty Nijjar and K. Heiner Vogelbach shared a special recognition for the 20 members of the 2021 Crystal Ball committee who organized the gala event.
The Methodist Hospital was founded in 1903 by the Women’s Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Church and has grown significantly in the last 100 years. The hospital currently has 348 licensed beds, and treats more than 40,000 patients in the Emergency Department each year.
For more information, visit www.methodisthospital.org.
