New City of Hope employees often take a guided tour of the Duarte, Calif., campus when they first start their jobs, but after a year or two, their vision of the place may narrow — shrinking exclusively to their own lab, office or clinic.
Bridget Marshall of Visitor Services knows that is not intentional. It simply reflects the challenges of a daily schedule and work goals. But Marshall wants to remind City of Hope staff about the unique aspects of the campus and those who make it special. That is why she and her Visitor Services colleagues recently began offering monthly lunchtime tram tours of City of Hope.
“Even people who’ve been here for a long time don’t know where certain buildings are,” Marshall said. “We want to reacquaint people with the campus. It’s amazing how many people work here, eat lunch at their desks, and don’t know what’s going on elsewhere on campus.”
Visitor Services offers the free, hour-long tours on the last Thursday of each month. Seven to eight tour guests who sign up in advance may join the tour, which takes them to key spots around the campus.
On the Nov. 29 tour, Marshall discussed the institution’s strategic plan and updated brand, as well as its history. She showed participants the Golter Gate and wide variety of roses and plants, as well as the Japanese garden, Visitor Center, City of Hope Helford Clinical Research Hospital and the Center for Biomedicine & Genetics, among other features.
“I’d encourage people to take a lunch hour and hear about some of the new efforts going on at City of Hope,” said Marshall. “You may learn something new, or see a part of campus you’ve never visited before.”
Participants may sign up for a tour by calling Marshall at ext. 65964 or Visitor Services at ext. 62471 or sending an e-mail to bmarshall@coh.org or dolson@coh.org.
City of Hope trivia quiz
The lunchtime tram tour introduces participants to a variety of trivia bits about the campus. Readers may test themselves with these factoids:
1. Which of these is not required for an authentic Japanese garden?
A. Stream B. Koi carp C. Pine tree D. Bridge
2. What can be found in the pond in the grotto behind Golter gate?
A. Rubber ducks B. A sailboat C. Golden pebbles D. A toy submarine
3. Who provided the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe?
A. The Music and Entertainment Industry
B. The Lions Club
C. The National Office Products Industry
D. The Food Industries Circle
4. How many islet cell transplants have been performed at City of Hope?
A. One B. Four C. 11 D. 29
Answers: 1. C, 2. A, 3. D, 4. C
