CSC Board President Serge Melkizian and CSC Chief Executive Officer Patricia Ostiller at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Event Co-Chairs Patti Traglio, Suzanne Gilman, and Antionette Johnson at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
CSC Chief Executive Officer Patricia Ostiller, Honorees Mickey and Lee Segal, and CSC Board President Serge Melkizian at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
CSC original co-founder Deborah Bolton and Ellen Knell at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Sarah Gilman, John Dudley, and Coleen Williams at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Brenda Gant and Jeff Hughes at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Ruben Marquez, Jeanne Thompson, Dana Naples, Skylar Berkus, and Monica Justice at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Melissa Lee and Lesli White at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Robert Evans, Marlene Evans, and Flor Mejia at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
David Johnson, Event Co-Chair Antionette Johnson, Grace Mejia, and Sandi Mejia at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Karen Barsomian, Mike Naples, and Rita Gooch at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Margaret and Kyle Uemura at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Emcee Rossi Morreale, George Leiva, Susan Hybert, Valerie Leiva, and Event Co-Chair Patti Traglio at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Michael Budzyn and Cindy Bengson at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Dan and Kathy Foote at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Leonie McDermott, Mary Nichols, and Paula Hanson at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Paul/Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Anne Kennedy with President, Board of Directors, Serge Melkisian; and CEO Patricia Ostiller at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Eddie Rivera/Pasadena Now]
Mickey and Lee Segal with CEO Patricia Ostiller, and President, Board of Directors, Serge Melkisian at Cancer Support Community SGV's Angel Gala held at the Langham Huntington Hotel [Eddie Rivera/Pasadena Now]
Under the sparkling chandeliers of a Langham Huntington ballroom Saturday evening, nearly 400 guests gathered to celebrate a milestone born from compassion, resilience and unwavering support. The Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley marked its 35th anniversary with its annual Angel Gala, embracing a theme that resonated through every speech and every smile: “Rise Together.”
Anne Kennedy, the Cancer Support Community’s first executive director, was among the evening’s honorees. Standing before a crowd of old friends and new supporters, she detailed the history of the event, including how some original board members in 1990 were against the idea of a ‘gala,’ but changed their minds when the first one raised thousands for the non-profit. Many of the male board members still refused to wear a tuxedo, she warmly recalled.
Said Kennedy, “The Cancer Support Community has been a family partner from the beginning and continues to be,” she said, offering special thanks to her husband, Dr. Peter Kennedy, for his steadfast encouragement.
Founded in 1990, the organization has provided free emotional support, education, and hope to thousands impacted by cancer. Saturday’s gala offered a heartfelt reflection on how far the community has come — and the bonds that have made it possible.
Longtime San Gabriel Valley philanthropists Lee and Mickey Segal were also honored for their decades of generosity, not only to the Cancer Support Community but to numerous causes across the region and beyond, stretching from the Rose Bowl and the Pasadena Jewish Center to countless community non-profits.
“The more we gave, the more we got,” said Mickey, recalling his early philanthropy, which has lasted decades. “And strange as it sounds, not only emotionally, but financially too,” Mickey reflected.
This year’s gala carried an even deeper sense of community purpose. In response to the devastating Eaton Canyon fire, the Cancer Support Community pledged $100,000 of gala proceeds to the Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund. Patricia Ostiller, CEO of the Cancer Support Community, announced the initiative, reminding guests that their generosity would not only sustain cancer services but help rebuild lives touched by disaster.
Throughout the evening, cancer survivors shared their stories, underscoring the importance of the organization’s work, including an emotional video which featured cancer patients who not only struggled with their illness, but who also lost homes and possessions in the fire.
One speaker, beaming with gratitude, addressed the audience directly, saying. “You changed my life. You made it possible for me to smile again. It’s really important that you know how much gratitude we have for you.”
More information about the Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley and its programs is available www.cancersupportsgv.org.
