Recent Events
Women’s Guild Luncheon 2015
Judge Judy Sheindlin proved that she is just as riveting speaking to a ballroom full of luncheon guests as she is presiding in the courtroom of her Emmy-award winning television show JUDGE JUDY.
Sheindlin received the 2015 Cedars-Sinai Women’s Guild Woman of the 21st Century award at the organization’s annual luncheon in April at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. “If you make it, remember the people who helped you along the way and the people who are there supporting you every day,” she told 600 attentive guests. Introduced by her daughter Nicole Sheindlin and accompanied by her husband Jerry and good friend Florence Henderson, Sheindlin received not one, but two standing ovations for her inspirational words.
Strength, compassion – as well as fashion – were the event’s themes. Emmy award-winning FOX 11 News anchor Christine Devine emceed the proceedings and models wearing clothes from Escada’s spring collection strolled through the ballroom.
Women’s Guild President Hella Hershson presented Art Ochoa, Cedars-Sinai vice president of Community Relations, with a check for $1 million for the Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills. And it was another member of the Ochoa family – Art’s wife, Danielle Worth Ochoa, Executive Vice President – who was the surprise recipient of the Evelyn Clayburgh Award, which recognizes a member for outstanding leadership, service and dedication to the Guild. When her family joined her onstage, she said: “This means so much to have my daughters here. Women’s Guild members are the strongest, smartest and most hard-working role models I can hope to have for them. I hope that when they grow up, they will be part of this amazing group of women.”
Hershson described the event as the embodiment of what the group stands for. “We are a vital sisterhood of community-minded, caring supporters of Cedars-Sinai who are making a difference and having a tremendous amount of fun doing it!”
Chaired by Wendy Goldberg and Lorette Gross, Pary Mosenifar and Valerie Fitzgerald co-chairs and standing event chairs Gina Furth and Barbara Herman, the luncheon raised nearly $300,000 in support of Women’s Guild’s $10 million pledge to the Simulation Center, an immersive training environment equipped with the latest in human patient simulators and medical devices.
Luncheon guests also enjoyed raffle prizes courtesy of Beverly Hills jeweler XIV Karats, Mayfair House in West Hollywood, the legendary One and Only Palmilla Resort in Los Cabos and Beverly Hills based stylist Jose Eber. Beautiful table favors were donated by Escada and the Beverly Hills Brownie Company with wonderful take away gift bags of skin care products by Caudalie.
Founded in 1957, Women’s Guild is a deeply committed group of women who have raised nearly $50 million to support clinical and scientific advances at the medical center.