City of Hope® Orange County, part of one of the nation’s largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations, announced it raised more than $20 million at its Promise of Hope gala, where attendees celebrated the upcoming opening of Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital and the establishment of an innovative workforce housing initiative.
With a captivating performance by legendary icon Diana Ross, the event on City of Hope Orange County’s academic cancer campus in Irvine drew nearly 500 guests.
During the gala, City of Hope announced the creation of a workforce housing program for oncology healthcare professionals, made possible by a transformative gift by RSI Dream Communities. The nonprofit founded by philanthropists Ron and Sandi Simon provides housing solutions for essential workers in health care, education and civil service. A second gift from the Simons honors the visionary leadership of Annette M. Walker, president of City of Hope Orange County, through the establishment of an endowed chair.
“Our community came together for an unforgettable evening celebrating the fulfillment of our promise with the December opening of Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital,” said Walker, the Ronald and Sandi Simon Presidential Chair. “We are grateful for our philanthropic partners and for the extraordinary generosity of RSI Dream Communities, which will allow our nurses and other clinical staff to live close to where they work. Thank you to Ron and Sandi for their steadfast support and for the creation of this endowed chair. It’s a profound honor to be the inaugural chair holder.”
Specifically, the gifts:
- Create a workforce housing program that provides rent subsidies to clinical nurses and other critical frontline staff, ensuring that City of Hope Orange County attracts and retains the best cancer care professionals. RSI Dream Communities is also shaping plans for further transformative investments to support and extend the City of Hope Orange County workforce housing program in Orange County.
- Establish the Ronald and Sandi Simon Presidential Chair of City of Hope Orange County, naming City of Hope Orange County President Annette M. Walker, M.H.A., as the inaugural chair holder. The gift will also advance innovative initiatives under Walker’s direction and provide sustainable funding so that future chair holders can meet the cancer needs of the community.
Honoring Philanthropy, Advancing Care
"City of Hope is at the forefront of medical innovation, and we are honored to support its mission to transform cancer treatment and patient outcomes," said Ron Simon. "Sandi and I believe in the power of community and are committed to ensuring that health care professionals can thrive in the communities they serve. Our partnership with City of Hope Orange County reflects our shared vision of a healthier, more hopeful future for all."
City of Hope will open Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital later this year, hiring more than 740 people, including highly skilled medical professionals with cancer-focused expertise. The workforce housing program directly addresses Orange County’s high cost of living—among the steepest in the nation—by providing rent subsidies to Orange County staff in designated, hard-to-fill patient care positions like oncology nurses, radiation therapists and clinical lab scientists, to name a few.
Uniting for a Future Free from Cancer—A Gala of Hope and Celebration
The Promises of Hope gala, co-chaired by philanthropist and decades-long City of Hope supporter Stephanie Argyros, brought together a vibrant community of luminaries, prominent business partners and philanthropic leaders against the backdrop of Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital, opening on Dec. 1.
"Innovation often starts with solving challenges others consider impossible,” said Kristin Bertell, chief philanthropy officer at City of Hope. “Ron and Sandi Simon’s philanthropic partnership exemplifies this spirit. By investing in our leaders and in our people, they are ensuring City of Hope can attract the brightest minds in cancer care and extend treatment to families across Orange County.”