Gala benefits cancer center

The Kiwanis Club of Burbank celebrated 83 years of community service at its ninth annual gala on July 15 at the Lakeside Golf Club. Familiar face and news anchor Paul Moyer of NBC News was an outstanding master of ceremonies and guided some 280 members, friends and grateful patients through the evening's program.

Raul Mena and Christopher Rose, doctors at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, were the evening's honorees. The doctors have set the standard for cancer-patient treatment and community leadership for many years and they were driving forces behind bringing the new Roy and Patricia Disney Cancer Center to fruition.

Funds raised from the gala will benefit the club's whopping 48 charities as well as the new four-story, 55,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, integrated cancer center. One of the most poignant moments in the evening was when co-chairman of the Gala, Stephen Veres, asked guests who had a mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, child, friend, grandparent, or co-worker. affected by cancer to stand. One by one, nearly all the guests at the gala stood up.

"All of us know a family member or friend who has been touched by cancer," Veres said. "The Burbank Kiwanis Club is proud to be a part of this new cancer center campaign and the fight against cancer for many generations."

As a member of the medical center's Board of Trustees and Chairman of the the Roy and Patricia Disney Cancer Center Civic Committee, Veres thanked members of the Burbank Noon Kiwanis Club for donating more than $150,000 for the new cancer center and the Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis Club for pledging $57,000 to the campaign.

"It takes a great community to build a new cancer center and our Kiwanis clubs wasted no time in joining the campaign," he said. "We challenge all other service and business organizations to join this campaign for the benefit of us all."

Marsha Jackson was chairwoman of the event and was assisted by co-chairman Stephen Veres, and committee members Wendell Jackson, Joe Terranova, Gary Peterson, Sue Stamper, Ham Lloyd, Debbie Kutka, Bonnie Jue and Ron Rothacher.

The Burbank Kiwanis Club meets at noon Wednesdays at the YMCA, 321 E. Magnolia Blvd. For more information, contact Stephen Veres at (818) 843-2605, or sveresburbanksportscards.com.

CLUB ENTERS NEW YEAR