Big night for a good cause
An industry-wide effort to support the California-based City of Hope, a hospital known around the world for its groundbreaking cancer research and compassionate treatment, hit the airwaves May 10. It was the night of the annual Spirit of Life Gala celebration – forced into a virtual program, but losing nothing of its real-life inspiration.
Lowe’s Executive VP of Merchandising Bill Boltz was the guest of honor.
“This event has come to be one of the biggest nights of the year for the hardware and home improvement industry,” said Boltz. “And whether it's virtual or in person, it's always just really special to see the folks from our industry come together to support such an incredible organization like the City of Hope.”
The night produced incredible figures. The Spirit of Life Gala brought $2.6 million in donations to City of Hope. On top of that, events throughout the year, especially a Lowe’s orchestrated “miles for hope” campaign, brought this year’s contribution from the Hardware and Homebuilding Industry to about $4.5 million.
The cast of characters for the ceremony included, Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison, surprise commentary from Boltz’ family, and a performance from country music star Lee Brice.
But the real heroes were the doctors and nurses in the trenches at City of Hope. Among them is Dr. Linda Malkas, a City of Hope researcher, shared the story of her personal crusade to deliver on a promise to a former patient, a nine-year-old girl named Anna Olivia Healey, who died from a rare form of cancer in 2005. Malkas' research, funded in part by contributions from the Hardware and Home Building Industry, led to the creation of a promising drug AOH1996. Those are her initials. That’s the year she was born.
The event also included the story of Tiffany Jones, a City of Hope patient who described her successful battle with a rare form of cancer, a battle that she’s winning.
Boltz himself described his own personal brush with the disease. “I like countless others have had my life forever changed by this disease that the City of Hope worked so hard to defeat,” he said. “I recently lost my father to cancer and both my mom and my sister are cancer survivors. So like it is for so many, It's personal, and as my life and career progressed, my passion for the cause and the amazing work being done by this organization has continued to grow.”
In his acceptance speech, during which he shared the stage with his colleague and former Spirit of Life honoree Joe McFarland, Boltz described City of Hope as an independent biomedical research hospital that is grounded in providing compassionate care and groundbreaking research. He pointed to the “unbelievable” growth and success of the research hospital since 1913, when it was founded.
“This year marks my 39th year in the industry. In my career, I've been really blessed to work for some top-notch leaders,” Boltz said. “Those who have taught me just how important it is for an organization and an individual to give back to its community and I've been able to observe countless individuals, donating time, money, and support the causes and organizations that make a positive impact on the world around them.”
