Stones have served as foundations for human construction for centuries. Stones painted by pediatric patients were given to volunteer leaders at the 2024 CIA Spirit of Life® Gala to thank them for building a future without cancer.

The CIA volunteer group formed in 1974 to support City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., with City of Hope’s National Medical Center in Los Angeles recognized as a Top 5 “Best Hospital” for cancer in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 rankings.
The group’s 50th anniversary gala honored Tom Grable, division president of Tri Pointe Homes, with the 2024 Spirit of Life Award. Seven previous Spirit of Life Award winners were also present and received the stones painted with heartfelt and hopeful messages.
Grable said, “By putting people into a new home, we are creating an environment for them to live their lives. City of Hope is giving them an environment to actually have a life. I think that’s the fundamental intersection.”
The gala is part of the industry group’s annual philanthropic campaign, which raised more than $1.2 million in 2024 to expand the impact of City of Hope’s Orange County campus. In 1974, the CIA started with 10 people, and it has since grown to include many representatives from all areas of the homebuilding industry.
John Lavender, division president of homebuilder Lennar Corporation and a member of the CIA Board of Directors, told the audience, “That first year, in 1974, the Spirit of Life Award dinner raised $150,000. Today, standing together in this room, we're part of a legacy that has contributed over $78 million to fighting cancer and diabetes. That's not just a number — it's thousands of lives touched, countless breakthroughs funded and endless hope provided."
Lennar donated $50 million through the Lennar Foundation to construct the City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center, which opened in Irvine, California, in 2022.

The CIA fundraising also contributes to an endowment that supports Edward S. Kim, M.D., M.B.A., senior vice president and physician-in-chief, City of Hope Orange County, and professor and vice physician-in-chief, City of Hope National Medical Center.
Kristin Bertell, chief philanthropy officer of City of Hope, said at the gala, “Fifty years ago, City of Hope was a regional cancer hospital with 64 beds. Today, we are a national comprehensive cancer center serving 144,000 patients every year. Cancer research and treatment have changed dramatically, too. Back then, cancer was considered a death sentence. Treatments were limited and mostly ineffective. At the time, there were only about 35 drugs approved by the FDA to treat cancer. In 2023, U.S. scientists got 45 cancer drug approvals in a single year. This progress is incredible. And you have been with us every step of the way.”