Recent Events
Celebrating 60 Years of Transformative Giving
More than 700 guests were welcomed by glitz, glamour and Women's Guild co-chairs Wendy Goldberg, Judy Briskin and Vera Guerin on May 3, 2018, for the 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Gala at The Beverly Hilton. The evening celebrated 60 years of partnership between Women's Guild and Cedars-Sinai-and honored Hollywood Icon Award recipients Lyn and Norman Lear.
Kicking off with a high-energy, swingin' set from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, members of Women's Guild, Cedars-Sinai leadership, doctors and guests paid tribute to the organization's continued philanthropy and extraordinary vision.
"From a small group of women who started back in the happy days of 1958, the Guild has grown to an organization that has so far raised nearly $50 million in support of the hospital," said Guerin, Women's Guild past president.
Emmy-nominated and Tony-winning actor Jason Alexander emceed this year's festivities. Well-known for his portrayal of George Costanza on the hit sitcom Seinfeld, Alexander elicited many laughs and shared personal stories about his family's care at Cedars-Sinai-and acknowledged the important role Women's Guild plays in making quality care possible.
"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" was the theme for the evening and, as the night progressed, guests heard firsthand about the extraordinary partnership between Women's Guild and Cedars-Sinai.
From the exponential growth of the Saul and Joyce Brandman Breast Center - A Project of Women's Guild at Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, establishment of the Women's Guild Lung Institute and the Women's Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills, to the endowment of chairs in Cancer Genomics and Gastroenterology, Women's Guild has strengthened some of the institution's most critical work.
Lyn and Norman Lear were honored with the Hollywood Icon Award for their lifetime of dedication to philanthropy and caring for their community and the world. True icons, the couple has championed progressive politics, social justice and the arts. Together, the powerhouse duo supports medical research and advocates for affordable healthcare for all.
The Lears join the ranks of past recipients including Billy Crystal, Wendy and Leonard Goldberg, Lauren Shuler and Richard Donner, Fay and Frank Mancuso, Judy and Bernard Briskin, Vera and Paul Guerin, and Cedars-Sinai surgeons Bruce Gewertz, MD, and Edward H. Phillips, MD.
The Lears' award was presented by actor and producer Pierce Brosnan, who is known for his roles as James Bond and Remington Steele. "This particular award singles them out as icons, which in this case means that they are representative of the kind of people we all should be," Brosnan said.
Past Women's Guild President Gina Furth presented Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president for Community Relations and Development, with a check for $1 million to support the Women's Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills, bringing Womens' Guild one step closer to fulfilling its pledge of $10 million for the simulation center. "We are here to make sure Cedars-Sinai is always here. For everyone," Furth said.