Sometimes all it takes to cement a volunteer’s support is a visit to City of Hope. That was the case for Jim Vlamis more than 30 years ago, upon his first tour of campus.

“I was heart-struck by City of Hope — its history and the work developing bone marrow transplantation,” said Vlamis, then an executive with the Carnation Company and later with Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream. “I made a commitment right then that City of Hope was an organization that I wanted to concentrate on supporting.”

Jim Vlamis

Vlamis’ dedication carries through to this day.

A founder of the Northern California Food Industries Circle, Vlamis played a crucial role in the Bay Area group’s initiatives to raise funds for City of Hope. The circle recognized this leadership by creating the Jim Vlamis Humanitarian Award when he retired in 2005. He has remained active, encouraging colleagues to contribute to City of Hope. And he and his wife, Argie Vlamis, recently boosted the search for cures through a generous planned gift.

“If you want to make a difference in the lives of others, planned gifts are a great vehicle,” Jim Vlamis said. “Cancer patients everywhere need better treatments, so now’s the time to help institutions like City of Hope.”

Vlamis has seen City of Hope from the patient’s side, too. He beat prostate cancer in 2003.

He was among the earliest City of Hope patients to receive a robotic radical prostatectomy — a relatively new procedure at the time. Since then, City of Hope has become a worldwide leader in the treatment, which requires much smaller incisions than traditional surgery, resulting in less pain and a quicker recovery. Vlamis went back to work 10 days later.

Grateful, Jim and Argie Vlamis created a charitable remainder trust of more than $160,000 benefiting City of Hope. They donate only to charities close to their hearts such as their church and their family’s foundation, run together with their adult daughters, Nicole and Valarie.

“Maybe the kids will want to give to City of Hope someday,” Vlamis said, smiling.