POMONA, Calif., March 11, 2020 — To honor the bravery and perseverance of those recovering from
traumatic injury and illness, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare
hosted its annual Tribute to Courage Gala Saturday, March 7, 2020, at
the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and Conference Center in Pomona. Casa Colina’s
largest fundraiser, this black-tie event attracts prominent figures from
healthcare, entertainment, business, and local government.
This year’s gala, titled “From Survival to Service,”
honored David Kiley, a 13-time Paralympic medalist and adaptive sports
pioneer who led the Casa Colina Condors wheelchair basketball team to
eight national championships throughout the 80s and 90s. The first wheelchair
athlete to be featured in
Sports Illustrated, Kiley turned his recovery from spinal cord injury into a lifetime of
serving those with disabilities, expanding access to wheelchair and Paralympic
sports through his innovative vision and helping to pave the way for Casa
Colina’s beloved Outdoor Adventures program.
“It is such an honor to be here tonight to recognize such a hero
in sports and in the Casa Colina community,” said Felice L. Loverso,
PhD, Casa Colina President and CEO. “David, your story is proof
that service to the greater good can truly help heal the body and spirit.
Congratulations on this honor.
Approximately 800 were on hand to celebrate Kiley’s contributions
to wheelchair sports and to Casa Colina’s broad continuum of care,
which includes acute rehabilitation, medical-surgical services, residential
rehabilitation, outpatient services, children’s services, and more.
The evening featured several other guests of honor, including Hal Hargrave,
Jr., a former Casa Colina patient and founder of the Be Perfect Foundation;
Col. (Ret.) Rocco Armonda, MD, FAANS, whose neurosurgery fieldwork in
Iraq and Afghanistan advanced care techniques for the most severe battlefield
head injuries; and Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg, a former patient
of Dr. Armonda and Casa Colina who was combat-injured and now shares his
miraculous recovery story to inspire other veterans nationally with traumatic
brain injury.
“Tonight, we honor those who have given blood, sweat, and tears for
the greater good,” said Loverso. “These individuals personify
what it means to serve something greater than themselves. They are heroes
in their own right.”
Actor, writer, and director Bonnie Hunt returned this year to host the
event. Hunt, a longtime Casa Colina supporter and former oncology nurse,
presented the Casa Colina Nurse Scholar Award, created in her honor, to
a nurse completing education and professional development to build their
nursing skills and advance the field.
This year’s gala raised more than $650,000 toward free and subsidized
care to help under-resourced patients and, in some cases, to provide temporary
housing for families to be near loved ones during rehabilitation.
Platinum sponsors included JTS Surgical Innovations; Morrison Healthcare;
Carl H. Novotny, Rev. Judith L. Swahnberg, and the Boston Foundation;
Shernoff Bidart Echeverria, LLP; and UCLA Health Department of Neurosurgery.
Gold sponsors included Allied Anesthesia Medical Group; Spencer Au; Bentley
& More, LLP; First Law Group; Golden Eagle Plumbing; Inland Valley
Daily Bulletin / San Gabriel Valley Tribune; Felice Loverso, PhD and Denise
Loverso; Moss Adams, LLP; Pacific Rim Rehabilitation; Panish Shea &
Boyle, LLP; Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center; the Scudder Family;
and Charles and Elaine Tachdjian.
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. 2222.