Members of the Los Angeles Real Estate and Construction Industry group have raised more than $1.2 million for City of Hope cancer research and treatment programs — and two top executives have donated another $2.2 million.
More than 900 executives from the industry group gathered at a gala dinner on Oct. 4 in Beverly Hills, Calif., to celebrate the culmination of the group’s year-long fundraising campaign. The dinner honored Mace Siegel and Arthur Coppola, executives from Macerich, one of the nation’s leading retail property companies. Siegel and Coppola were presented with City of Hope’s top philanthropic honor, The Spirit of Life® Award, at the event.
Coppola, Macerich’s president and chief executive officer, matched the gala’s fundraising total with a $1.2 million pledge. Siegel, chair of Macerich, pledged an additional $1 million. The pledges raised the campaign’s total to $3.4 million.
Both men acknowledged their inspiration for giving was Richard Ziman, chair of the board of Los Angeles-based American Value Partners and founding chair of the industry fundraising group for City of Hope. Ziman, a longtime City of Hope supporter and previous Spirit of Life recipient, was instrumental in introducing Siegel and Coppola to the institution. The two men were joined in their pledge by several senior-level executives at the gala.
“Mace and I were moved by the commitment Richard Ziman has shown to this campaign and to City of Hope,” said Coppola. “Since becoming involved with this fundraising campaign, we’ve discovered that his passion is matched by that of City of Hope’s physicians, researchers and staff. They are leading the future of medicine, and I am thrilled to be able to play a part in their efforts.”
Added Siegel: “City of Hope is creating a new model of cancer center for accelerating the development of new therapies. I am proud to support the unyielding determination of everyone at City of Hope to find better treatments for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”
Previous Spirit of Life recipients from the real estate industry include James A. Thomas of Thomas Properties Group, Robert F. Maguire III of Maguire Properties, Edward P. Roski Jr. of Majestic Realty Co., Robert J. Lowe of Lowe Enterprises, Stan Ross of Ernst & Young LLP, James Didion of CB Richard Ellis, Paul Hazen of Wells Fargo Bank and Bruce Karatz of KB Home.