3 Palisadians Honored at Caritas Gala

By Michael Aushenker, Staff Writer

2009-11-05
Actor Chris O'Donnell received the top honor on October 24 at the 2009 Caritas Gala, hosted by the Saint John's Health Center Foundation Trustees and the hospital's Irene Dunne Guild. Nearly 500 supporters attended the Beverly Wilshire event.

'Chris is an outstanding role model for the future generation of Saint John's supporters and community leaders, which makes him the perfect honoree,' said Lou Lazatin, Saint John's chief executive officer.

In addition to O'Donnell, who lives in Pacific Palisades, fellow Palisadians Jack and Joan Michel, along with Waldo and Jean Burnside, received the Spirit of Saint John's Awards for their charitable contributions over the years.

O'Donnell, 39, has starred in such feature films as 'Batman and Robin,' 'The Chamber,' 'The Bachelor' and 'Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.' He is currently starring alongside L.L. Cool J in the CBS series 'NCIS: Los Angeles.'

In winning the Caritas Award, O'Donnell was honored for giving back to the community. In 2003 and 2004, he co-hosted the Saint John's Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon, an event that benefits the Saint John's Child and Family Development Center. He also emceed the 2007 Santa Monica 5000 Race, which raises money for the Health Center, and he has helped raise funds for the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

At the gala, he was introduced by his Pacific Palisades neighbor, Foundation Trustee Mark Gibello. From the podium, O'Donnell expressed his appreciation for the honor, deferring to those in the room who have served Saint John's for many more decades than he.

'I recently toured the new facilities,' O'Donnell said. 'It's unbelievable''the thoughtful design, the state-of-the-art technology.' He added, only half-jokingly, 'With five active kids of my own, there's a good chance the emergency ward will have my involvement. I've certainly had enough trips to the maternity ward.'

The Michels have been involved with Saint John's for more than four decades. Jack is a third-generation Californian whose family owned the Venice-based Edgemar Farms dairy (which they sold in 1987). He was elected as a trustee in 1975 and has served as chairman of the Health Center Board (1995'98) and the Health Center Foundation (from 1999'2001). Joan has volunteered for years at the Health Center and is a founding member of the Guild.

'I've seen it grown from 25 members to 114, and I can't speak highly enough about this group of women,' Joan Michel said of the Irene Dunne Guild, as she and her husband accepted their award. 'We do it in order to help others, not ourselves.' All three of their children were born at Saint John's.

In addition to the Palisades residents honored onstage, the banquet tables were packed with Palisadians, including Dr. Peter Pelikan, president of Saint John's medical staff, and wife Rose; Melinda and Terry Casey; Robert and JoAnn Klein; Charles and Carol Smith; Richard Alonso; Toni Turner; Janie and Dick Crane; Mary Martin; Fran and Terry Flanagan; and Ann and Bob Hacter.

Rose Pelikan said that she and her husband were proud to be in attendance. 'Our daughters were born there,' she said. 'We want to have a good hospital in our community. The people here are very warm and easy to talk to.'

Also in attendance was Ann Marie Streibich, granddaughter of the Irene Dunne Guild's namesake, the late actress who had played in movies opposite Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Charles Boyer, and, with Cary Grant, defined the screwball comedy genre in such films as 'The Awful Truth' and 'My Favorite Wife.' Streibich flew in from her home in Chicago to attend the fundraiser in honor of the woman who raised her.

'I lived with her, she was my best friend,' a visibly moved Streibich told the Palisadian-Post. 'She was gracious, witty, supremely giving. As a woman of ethics, her mission was to be a celebrity of goodwill, for the greater good. She brought [into the Saint John's fundraising fold] Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Ronald Reagan and Elizabeth Taylor.'

   Indeed, Dunne would have been pleased: the banquet raised more than $700,000. All the proceeds will go towards building the new Irene Dunne Guild gift shop in the Howard Keck Center (which opened over the summer).