A Showroom Full of Love

Cancer Support Community holds annual fundraiser at Rusnak Auto
By EDDIE RIVERA, EDITOR, WEEKENDR MAGAZINE
Published on Oct 7, 2024

Deborah Bolton, an original founding board member of Cancer Support Community, was working as an oncology nurse at Huntington Memorial Hospital in 1988, and remembers exactly how the organization came about.

“We actually had two amazing psychosocial support services for  cancer patients,” said Bolton. “And it turns out (Huntington) decided to cut the budget in those groups, and the patients in the groups were devastated. So I had learned about what was called the ‘Wellness Community’ on the West side of town. I had met Norman Cousins. I had met (author) Harold Benjamin because I was working at UCLA, so I had an opportunity to know what it was about.” 

Bolton went to June Simmons, director of psychosocial services at that time. 

“I said, ‘June, do you ever foresee these support groups coming back? And she said, ‘no.” And I said, ‘What are your thoughts if we work on bringing the cancer support community or the wellness community to Pasadena?”

“‘Whatever you need, I’ll help support you,”said Simmons.

 Then when I went and met with Harold Benjamin, he said there were other people, no, two other people at the time who were very interested in doing the same thing. He gave me their names. I got in touch with them, and at the same time all this was going on, I had a woman come to me who had just gotten her social work degree and she wasn’t sure which way she wanted to go. 

Bolton told her to read Benjamin’s book, and headed off to London for a presentation.

 “When I came back,” said Bolton, “she had written a proposal. So that was Paul Taylor, Marguerite Marsh and Arlene Harder and myself.” 

Bolton and Marsh still remain active in the San Gabriel Valley-based chapter, which celebrated more than three decades of supporting cancer patients and families on Saturday evening with its “Sip, Savor, Support,” annual fundraiser, held this year at Rusnak Auto Group’s Colorado Boulevard showroom. 

Since then, the group has helped support cancer patients and their families with a range of services as well as research and policy advocacy.

As the website notes, “The Cancer Support Community brings together patient advocates and policy experts to ensure that the voices of cancer patients and their loved ones play a central role in federal and state legislative, regulatory, and executive policy making.

The San Gabriel Valley  group celebrated not only another year of helping cancer patients, but the acquisition and opening of their new headquarters in Sierra Madre. 

The event was led by event committee co-chairs Patti Traglio and Valerie Mendoza who led a team of 20 volunteers, who planned and executed the dazzling event. 

Guests were fed by a host of local restaurants, and entertained with a special performance by Michael Cavanaugh, the star of the Broadway musical, Moving Out, based on the music of Billy Joel.  Cavanaugh performed two sets highlighting a host of singer/songwriters, along with Joel’s tunes. 

The evening raised thousands of dollars for the cause, through a silent auction as well as a live auction, hosted by Kimberly Ostiller, a sports marketer at SoFi Stadium, and daughter of CSC CEO Patricia Ostiller. The fundraising effort was led by a $10,000 donation by presenting sponsor, Aaron Weiss, and his San Marino Motor Classic, which has supported Cancer Support Community since 2018. 

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