During the holiday season, Las Madrinas honored 28 families and their daughters for their service to the Southern California community and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles at the Las Madrinas Ball at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. More than 800 guests from the Greater Los Angeles area, including 28 debutantes, their families and friends, gathered to celebrate with the members of Las Madrinas.
Las Madrinas President Lisa Brandt formally welcomed the families and guests in attendance and thanked everyone for joining Las Madrinas in its support of the research programs at CHLA. She spoke of the current project, the Las Madrinas Endowment for the chief of neurology chair and the Neurological Institute Epilepsy program. She also recognized ball chair Kelly Rouse for the success of the evening.
Local members of the Ball Committee include assistant chair Tricia Fink, Shannon Williamson, Lisa Dick, Anne Ryan, Alison Knoll, Courtney Hotchkis, Christina Hoffman and Andrea Bland. Local members of the debutante committee include Emily Hancock, Liz Algermissen, Katie High and Linda Breen.
Las Madrinas was established in 1933 as the first Affiliate Group of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and has been supporting pediatric medicine for 84 years. Since 1939, Las Madrinas has honored families who have demonstrated a commitment to the civic, cultural and philanthropic life of Southern California by presenting their daughters at the Las Madrinas Ball.
Donations made in honor of the young women, together with the annual support of Las Madrinas members and friends, have enabled Las Madrinas to complete nine major projects at the hospital since 1988, including eight research endowments totaling almost $25 million and a capital project on the Cardiovascular Floor. This year Las Madrinas is starting a commitment of a $5 million pledge for the Las Madrinas Endowment for the Chief of Neurology Chair and the Neurological Institute Epilepsy Program.