By Daily Press staff
Academy Award-winning actor and director Warren Beatty and his wife, actress Annette Bening, were honored this past Saturday as the 2006 Caritas Award recipients for their spirit of charity, compassion and commitment to others at the Saint John’s Health Center Caritas Gala.
More than 500 guests attended the charity event at the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, raising $900,000 for Saint John’s.
Also honored was philanthropist Flora Laney Thornton, who received the Spirit of Saint John’s Award for her service and dedication as a Trustee of the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation, as well as for her significant contributions to the cultural and educational institutions in our community.
Past event honorees include Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver, Anthony Hopkins, Martin Sheen,Vin Scully, Robert Wagner, Angela Lansbury, former First Lady Nancy Reagan and Jimmy Stewart.
The Caritas Gala was hosted by the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation and the Irene Dunne Guild, a key support group of the hospital. With a membership of approximately 86 women, the Irene Dunne Guild provides a variety of volunteer services and philanthropic support to Saint John’s.
In addition to hosting the Caritas Gala, the Irene Dunne Guild helped fund the new Saint John’s Mobile Blood Donor Center and created the “Angels of the ER” program to provide non-medical assistance to emergency room patients and their families. This year’s gala was co-chaired by guild members Catherine Corlin and Judy Piro. Ahoy mateys!
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 20, 2006. Read the original PDF.