Casa Colina’s 2024 Tribute to Courage Gala Raises $650,000 in Support of Free and Subsidized Patient Care

POMONA, Calif., March 14, 2024 — An engaged crowd of nearly 900 supporters turned up to celebrate the inspiring work taking place at Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare at its annual Tribute to Courage Gala Saturday, March 9, at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and Conference Center.

A black-tie event attracting prominent healthcare figures, local business leaders, and loyal philanthropic supporters, this annual fundraiser honors the courage and determination of Casa Colina patients recovering from traumatic injury and illness, as well as the dedicated clinicians who provide their specialized care.
 

This year’s gala honored two former Casa Colina patients struck down by disabling injury in the prime of their pursuit of excellence.

Having just released a critically acclaimed album, jazz vocalist, songwriter, and music instructor Kathleen Grace suffered a brain injury alone at home that went misdiagnosed and untreated for months, nearly derailing her career and life. Paralympic cyclist Samantha Bosco, similarly, was at the top of her game when a fluke cycling accident rendered her barely able to walk down her driveway, let alone compete for Olympic medals. Despite monumental challenges, each honoree found Casa Colina and forged a brave new path forward during their recovery, tapping into novel wells of creative inspiration, motivation, and self-expression in the process.

“Both of our honorees experienced the complexity and uncertainty that follow a traumatic brain injury, but through hard work and excellent rehabilitative care, managed to emerge stronger on the other side,” said Kelly M. Linden, Casa Colina President and CEO. “For patients like Samantha and Kathleen, our mission is to light the way home and help them re-integrate as best they can into the lives they once knew. These individuals show us what is possible when you combine determination, clinical expertise, and the human spirit. They inspire us to pursue excellence in rehabilitation every day.”

Following her arduous recovery, Grace has since returned to music, teaching, and performing. As an added treat for attendees, Grace performed Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” accompanied by musicians in her band.

Bosco is training to take on more Paralympic Games while pursuing entrepreneurship and mentoring future athletes.

The gala also featured a presentation of Casa Colina’s inaugural Impact Award, which recognizes a person or organization for positive, lasting contributions to the fields of healthcare and rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities. The recipient—actress, singer, and songwriter Selena Gomez—founded Rare Beauty, a cosmetics company dedicated to promoting inclusivity in beauty products, as well as the Rare Impact Fund, a charitable organization committed to youth mental health and self-acceptance. In 2023, Rare Beauty teamed with the Casa Colina Research Institute to study the accessibility of beauty products for those with hand and arm deficits. The study found significantly improved use and satisfaction when accessibility is integrated into every facet of product design.

Gomez thanked Casa Colina supporters virtually via a pre-recorded video, with Rare Beauty CEO Scott Friedman in attendance to accept the award on her behalf.

FOX 11 news reporter Elex Michaelson hosted the event, providing a steady presence that led audience members through the evening’s inspiring program. At the show’s onset, Michaelson reconnected with former Casa Colina patient Katrina Hannah, a survivor of the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting whose triumphant recovery story Michaelson reported on in 2017. Hannah opened the evening with a touching retelling of her time at Casa Colina, where she was treated after a bullet partially severed her spine and paralyzed her. Hannah has since rehabilitated and graduated with an MBA from University of La Verne in Southern California.

This year’s gala raised $650,000 toward free and subsidized care to help patients who need but may not be able to afford Casa Colina’s specialized services.

For more information about Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, or to donate to the Casa Colina Foundation, visit www.casacolina.org or contact foundation@casacolina.org or 909/596-7733, ext. 2237.