1. family and parenting
2. children

The Newsletter of Children’s Hospital Branches, Inc.
TWIGS
Summer-Fall 2012
Published quarterly by CHB, Inc.
@ CHORI
5700 Martin Luther King, Jr. T-2
Oakland, CA 94609-1673
(510) 428-3355 / (510) 597-7153 - fax
Once again we gathered the lovely Orinda
Country Club for our annual meeting and
to celebrate our 2011 accomplishments. We
Betty Jo Olson..............................President
also spotlighted and saluted our Outstanding
Marilyn Zecher.............................Garden
Volunteers of last year and honored our Alice
Cyndi Santaella............................Teak
Bullard Lifetime Achievement Award winner:
Debbie Civello..............................Rowan
Carol Maes of Chinquapin/Foothill Branch and
director of the Bambino Thrift Shop.
Cece Werson, Parliamentarian....Hawthorne
Now for a review of 2011 successful fundJoy Faussner, Bambino Liaison...Teak
raisers: Live Oak shot off the New Year with
Sheila Challey..............................Rowan
its lively Archery Shoot. They also brought back their entertaining
Joan Deuel...................................Hill
evening and Belly Dance Revue.
Wendy Dunn.................................Lombardy
In March, Cacao held its popular Bridge/Whist luncheon and
Jeannie Graham..........................Garden
fun-filled auction. Lilac also chose March for its “you-never-wantJoanne Knapp..............................Rowan
to-miss” Helen Lyall fashion show, On Broadway. The next day,
Pam Pauletich..............................Lombardy
Lombardy held a sold-out evening event featuring a spectacular Tory
Kristina Smith...............................Rowan
Burch Fashion Show & shopping opportunity.
Lucy Talbot...................................Hill
The “Goodwill Bags” entertained Acorn’s guests at its Spring
Lynne Wilson...............................Acorn
fashion show, 100 Years of Fashion, held at the lovely Mira Vista
Mary Ann Suva Mathews, Emeritus Liaison
Country Club. April also found us, here again at the Orinda Country
Club, for last year’s annual meeting.
Rowan always kicks off the month of May with its popular and “in preparation for Mother’s Day” Shopping
Spree and luncheon, featuring some new vendors among the returning favorites. Also in May, our junior Branch,
Bud, held its annual Spring Fashion Show, highlighting the soon-to-graduate seniors as models. This charming
event concludes with a buffet dinner. May was also the month for Lilac’s Day-at-the-Races get-together.
Summer found us celebrating our 20th annual (and final) Rubber Ducky Derby held at Waterworld. Both
Garden and Blossom Garden Branches hosted profitable Duck parties.
The Branches launched their Fall money-making season with a terrific General Meeting luncheon in the
beautiful CHORI library hosted by our Foundation friends. We had a great turnout with 75 attendees. Live Oak
started this season with its September CHAMPS Miniature Show and Sale in El Cerrito. Viki Cebers and I
attended Mulberry’s annual Emeritus luncheon at the stately Castlewood Country Club. Their excellent speaker,
Dr. Kathleen Newkumet, was from our own hospital’s Cardiology department.
Rowan Branch welcomed October with its magnificent Gala des Enfant, Starry Night in Paris – which is
always a fantastic evening and routinely one of our top money-makers! Another favorite Fall event is Acorn’s
Italian Dinner lovingly prepared by members and their talented husbands. Lilac closed out October with a very
successful, foot-stomping Western Evening, Boots & Boogie.
Moving into November, Blossom Garden started it off with a fantastic evening event titled, Moonlight
on the Marina, held at a fun new venue at Alameda Point. Lively Live Oak once again sponsored its famously
popular Dinner/Theater evening held jointly at the Hotel Mac and the Masquers’ Theater in Pt. Richmond.
Over 300 guests poured into Garden’s 50th Holiday Fashion Show and luncheon. If you can believe it, they
had 67 gorgeous raffle prizes. Once again, bags were in front of each item for guests to put their raffle ticket in –
thus assuring that if you win, it will be something that you really want.
Hill Branch closed out the year with its magnificent Winter Ball, presenting 30 beautiful debutantes at the
Board of Directors
gorgeous St. Francis Hotel – and becoming our top money-maker of 2011!
Another of our big money-makers last year was our attractive and classy Bambino Thrift Shop run under the
capable leadership of Carol Maes. The store’s primary “worker bees” are from Chinquapin/Foothill and Teak
Branches. Several other Branches help out and many Branches contribute merchandise to the Shop. Speaking
of “busy bees”, and in addition to all of its events, Live Oak also runs a Thrift Shop, located in Richmond.
Cedar, Jr. emeritus members, Mary Davis and Helen Buty, are our Calendar Ladies and calendar orders
continue to come in from many far-reaching locations. Bud Branch sells holiday greens and Coral Branch keeps
busy turning out afghans for the hospital: a long-standing labor of love.
We could never look this good and be this prosperous if it were not for the two geniuses we have staffing
our office: Renu Pal who looks after our finances and ways for us to save money, and our super office manager/
secretary/Twigs editor, Viki Cebers. We are truly blessed with these two dynamos.
Others who play a part in our successes are our donors and underwriters and the generous people who
attend our events. We also have our hospital family behind us: our wonderful President Dr. Bert Lubin and
his administrative staff, Brad Barber and Sara Merrick and all the gang at the Foundation, and Dr. Alex Lucas
and his CHORI group. They not only offer their help and support but are also free with their appreciation and
admiration of our events and most of all their many “thank yous”. All of us together make a beautiful village.
Thank you for giving me another year of representing all of you wonderful, dedicated ladies. I’ve enjoyed
every minute of it. Once again, congratulate yourselves on a job well done!
Love,
Betty Jo
Calling All Branch Members
As the hospital starts to celebrate 100 years of service to our community, let’s not forget the Branches and
the role it’s had from the very beginning. You all know the story: in 1912 two women from our community saw the
need for a hospital specializing in care for babies and formed an association and The Branches, Inc. is the result.
You have “branched” out all over the Bay Area and there are still over 700 active volunteers. With fewer
members, you are raising ever larger amounts and helping even more patient families. You would be amazed
at the number of times I hear from a donor that their mother, sister, aunt or they, themselves, were members of a
Branch. In fact, the most recent bequest gift that we’ve received was made in honor of the gentleman’s wife, who
happened to be a Branch member. (Does anyone remember Helen Kling?)
Children’s Hospital Foundation would like to honor and acknowledge the life-changing effect the Branches
has had through the years and we are planning an event next Spring, but we need your help. There are certainly
hundreds of women in an around the Bay Area who were active Branch members, but have fallen off the records.
Do you have friends or relatives who were former members? We’d like to invite every current and former Branch
member we can locate.
The hospital’s first Centennial event is scheduled for Sept. 8th at Oakland’s Fairyland, but here at the
Foundation we are thinking of you, the members of the Branches, and we want to make sure that the efforts of
all the volunteers through the years is recognized. From those meager beginnings one hundred years ago, with
room for less than 20 patients, last year Children’s had over 250,000 patient visits and that would not have been
possible without the Branches, Inc. Thanks and let me know how we can help.
Kevin Hughes, Director of Gift Planning
Children’s Hospital & Research Center Foundation
“One generation plants the tree, so that the next may enjoy the shade.” Proverb
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2013 Month-at-a-Glance Calendar
Order form
__________ Calendars @ $10.75 each
(Price includes shipping & handling)
$______________
Name ______________________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip _______________________________________________________________
Mail to CHB, Inc., 5700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, T-2 Oakland, CA 94609-1673
Thank you for supporting our most precious resource - our children!
Rowan Branch 2012 Shopping Spree
Rowan Branch members and guests attended the sold-out 11th annual Shopping Spree, Luncheon and
Fashion Show at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo on May 7th. Mimosas were served as 240 guests mingled
through the sun-lit terrace room filled with seventeen vendors selling beautiful jewels, fashionable handbags
and unique women’s apparel.
Lunch was served in the festive ballroom on tables decorated with brightly colored napkins on fuchsia overlays which added a very fun and Spring-like feeling. The centerpieces were three-tiered cake stands and were
filled with scrumptious lemon, chocolate chip, and carrot cake bundtinis which also served as the dessert. The
luncheon was followed with a well-received raffle of thirteen fabulous baskets with values over $200. Graciously, Round Hill Country Club donated a round of golf for 4 valued at $600!
Britt Van Giesen, devoted father of a daughter with Rett Syndrome, was the guest speaker. He gave an extremely heartfelt speech about Katie’s Clinic for Rett Syndrome at Children’s Hospital Oakland. He spoke about
his daughter, Erika, who has had successful surgeries and treatments at Children’s Hospital. Britt has organized “Erika’s Dream - Raising Hope and Awareness”, a fund-raiser that has raised money for Katie’s Clinic for
many years.
Our lovely Rowan-member models then showed off their talents by modeling fashions from The Banana
Republic S.F. Flagship store. The Spring fashions were enjoyed by all.
This 2012 Spring Shopping Spree was just as successful as last year’s event that raised $19,000 for Children’s Hospital. The Shopping Spree is always held the Monday before Mother’s Day. We hope more members
from other Branches will join us next year.
Guests looking over the great variety
of items available
Britt Van Giesen
Event co-chairs, Diana Kewell
and Leslye Thorpe
Joanne Baly and Christine Thorpe sporting Banana
Republic fashions.
Diana Kewell & Christy Campbell (Rowan co-chairs) with Kim Kiley
work to put finishing touches on the tables before their guests arrive.
Garden Branch Hosts a Lovely Bastille Day Garden Party at The Bruton Mansion
~ (Alameda’s new Monument #30) ~
Garden and Bud Branch members, friends and family enjoyed a lovely afternoon listening to Dr. Bert Lubin’s Jazz Quartet,
while dining on delicious appetizers and Petits Fours, drinking fabulous French cocktails and wines, (guided) touring the Mansion, having readings done by a Berkeley Psychic Institute specialist and winning some great
Raffle prizes, including Giants tickets, ‘Dining Around’ packages and a bottle of Dom Perignon. We’re
glad that a fantastic time was had by
all AND we raised $8,500 for the
Hospital at our first ‘Post-Rubber Ducky
Derby’ party.
Dr. Bert Lubin
& his Jazz Quartet
Beautiful day ~
beautiful party
Chef Soleil, his
wife TJ and hostess/
home owner,
Jeannie Graham
Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Luncheon
BJO, Dr. Bert Lubin, Barbara Hornung May,
Dr. Alex Lucas and Travis Bradburn
Betty Jo with Travis Bradburn and Sara Merrick, both from the Foundation
Kevin Hughes (Foundation) with
Debbie Civello (Rowan)
Garden Members chat before lunch
Hill Branch ladies with their Outstanding Branch member,
Carol Phillips (far right, second picture)
Catching up with the latest
news are members of Acorn
Board members: Cyndi Santaella (Teak),
Wendy Dunn (Lombardy), Cece Werson (Hawthorne), Marilyn Zecher (Garden) and Joy Faussner (Teak)
Despite their upcoming Shopping
Spree, Rowan always has a good
turnout at the Annual Meeting
Having instigated the tradition of wearing
hats some years ago, this year’s recipient
of the Alice Bullard Lifetime Achievement
Award, Carol Maes, dons a festive red one,
while friends (Joy Faussner, Annie Toy
and substitute Shop Manager, Nitza
Lopez) honor her by each wearing one,
too.
April 25, 2012 ~ Orinda Country Club
Coral and Fir members come together on a beautiful
Spring day to help celebrate our accomplishments
Lombardy gals enjoy the celebration
Speaker Meredith Horrell talks of
how grateful she is to Children’s
for helping her son, Dylan, after a
horrible fall. Dylan is held below by
Paula Lykins of the Foundation.
Two Blossom Garden members (far left) with the ladies from Lilac
Sharon Young (Garden)
talks with Sue Enger
(Teak’s Outstanding
Branch member) before
lunch - both ladies
sporting hats as did our
Lifetime Achievement
honoree, Carol Maes
Cacao Branch has a good showing!
Not pictured among the Outstanding
Branch Members: Nancy Seligman from
Chinquapin/Foothill Branch
Outstanding Branch Members for 2011
Cacao Chinquapin/Foothill
Garden
Hill
Lilac
Live Oak
Lombardy
Rowan
Teak
Nia Blakeney
NancySeligman
Norma Cabral
Carol Phillips
Jeanne Mackie
Diane Walter
Kathy Valcke
Leslye Thorpe
Sue Enger
Leslye Thorpe
Jeanne Mackie
Diane Walter
Nia Blakeney
Marilyn Zecher presents
the Outstanding Branch
member awards, this one
to Norma Cabral of
Garden Branch
Kathy Valcke
Photos are courtesy of: Chuck DiGuida’s It’s a Fine Line Photography
LILAC PRESENTS “THE OSCARS”
ITS SPRING LUNCHEON AND FASHION SHOW
Lilac Branch produced, directed and starred in another fabulous Spring luncheon and fashion show at the Hilton Garden Inn in
Faifield on April 18. The theme, “The Oscars”, was omnipresent in the staging, table decorations and the helen lyall fashion show.
Lilac Chairman Joyce Spinelli and fellow Executive Committee members Patricia Tubbs and Mary Lou Carter greeted guests with
a spinoff of the real awards ceremony, welcoming special guests including Betty Jo Olson, Travis Bradburn and Barbara Bacon,
and thanking the many generous donors to the event – all winners. Event chairs Nancy Mueller and Lori Fultz toasted guests and
thanked them for their support of Lilac Branch and Children’s Hospital. Nancy and Lori also worked their magic on the table decorations containing surprise SWAG for the lucky winners at each table. Lilac made over $1,000 on the table prize drawing alone.
After lunch, Helen Lyall opened the fashion show with elegant models dressed to the nines as if ready to take to the red carpet. She
added a little spunk with models representing past movie smashes like “Gone with the Wind”, “Rocky” and “Titanic”. We were
blessed with a number of attractive male models this year who dazzled in menswear from scott lyall clothes for men and Williamson & Co. Lilac’s own Rosemary Nelson took to the runway and looked stunning on several walks out.
The raffle prizes were a big hit and also reflected “The Oscars” theme with titles representing some of our movie favorites like “Midnight in Paris”, “Julie and Julia” and “Picnic” (a fabulous picnic basket fit for the perfect outing). As usual, the most coveted raffle
prizes were a wine box painted by Lilac member Nancy Schleicher (The Artist), two paintings titled Hollyhocks and Bodega at Dusk
both by Lilac’s talented Rosemary Nelson (Lust for Life) ,and handcrafted purses and scarves created by Lilac alumna Ruth Corda
(The Devil Also Wears Ruth Corda). Thanks to Judie Doherty and Linda Doshier and their team for their handiwork in putting the
raffle prize baskets together.
The Branch was happy to have a full house on a beautiful Spring day. After an initial count it looks like we netted $11,000 - close to
a record! Look for a Save the Date for our Fall event on the next page!
Lori Fultz, Joyce Spinelli and Nancy
Mueller pose between the “Oscars”.
Mike Garton, Al Morgese and Jon Ellison
“helping out” the night before the event.
Lilac’s own Rosemary Nelson takes to the runway modeling one of several lovely fashions.
Family
House:
Betty Jo, Travis Bradburn (Foundation)
and Barbara Bacon (Acorn) make the
trek to Fairfield for this always
spectacular show.
Extra summer (and year-round) breakfast guests = a need
for all sizes of paper (not styrofoam) plates which can go in the microwave, in addition to those wonderful gift cards to Trader Joes,
Safeway and Costco - all denominations gratefully accepted!
5222 Dover Street - Oakland, CA 94609.
During the 347 days the Family House was open in 2011 (it
closes for a week in June and 2 weeks in December for cleaning) they averaged 11 out of 16 rooms occupied each night with
23 adults, 6 children and 2 day guests. Likewise, an average of 8
breakfasts and 7 lunch/dinners were served. Ninety-seven of those
days they were at full or near full capacity. Not surprisingly, on no
available days were there no guests.
Young Donors Help Out in Their Own Way - With Lemonade and Popcorn
In early Spring, just as The Bambino Shop was about to close for the day, a woman
and her daughter walked in with a donation for us. Not so unusual, you say, for a shop
that makes its living by receiving donations. What made it unusual was the fact that
it was a cash donation. Ava Nemeth and her girl friend Casey Brown, both residents
of Albany, wanted something to do for the day. So they decided to sell lemonade and
popcorn. Now they had earned some money from their sales and needed to decide what
to do with it.
They wanted it to benefit children in some way and made the decision to bring their
profits to The Bambino, where they knew it would be used to help sick children at Children’s Hospital Oakland. We were very happy to receive $12.05 from these industrious
and charitably minded young ladies.
Ava Nemeth brought in the
proceeds of their lemonade &
popcorn sale as a donation to
the hospital.
Lilac’s Fall Event Auction Item “Sweetheart Dinner” is a Hit with Guests
Lilac’s Fall event auction item, a “Sweetheart Dinner”, was a hit with guests. One of
the most popular silent auction items at Lilac’s “Boots and Boogie” event last year was the
Sweetheart Dinner served, of course, this past Valentine’s Day. Eight lucky diners attended
the dinner and, don’t you know, everyone wore some version of red.
Diners raved about the six-course Italian-themed menu. Lava Fusa Torte was served for
dessert. One wonders if this indulgence, served along with some tasty port, is considered an
aphrodisiac.
Guests enjoying the fare and the company included Lilac member Carolyn Reno and her
significant other, Bob Lambert. Other guests were Lilac Chairman Joyce Spinelli and her husband Frank, Marge and Jim Edman and Mary and Dom Scolaro. (All pictured here.)
Hosts of the event were Jeanne and Ken Mackie and Betty and Jack McMahon. They were
assisted in serving by Ruth and Roger Corda who,coincidentally, hosted an elegant Swiss Dinner in January, also for the benefit of Lilac Branch and Children’s Hospital.
The Sweetheart Dinner and the Cordas’ Swiss Dinner are coveted events, and Lilac looks
forward to their appearance on the silent auction table at future Fall fundraisers.
Meanwhile, Boots and Boogie seems to be the event that keeps on giving. Attendees
looked forward to a Cinco de Mayo party on, you guessed it, May 5, 2012, as well as an elegant man-cave dinner in the Napa Valley and two fabulous cruises on the Napa River.
Save the Date!
Marge Edman, Bob Lambert
and Carolyn Reno
Joyce Spinelli, chairman of Lilac,
with her husband, Frank.
Dinner Dance Auction at Lilac’s Centennial Celebration,
featuring the Band, Struttin’
Date: Saturday, October 13, 2012 Time: 6:00pm - 11:30pm
Cost: $125/person Location: Green Valley Country Club, Fairfield
Reservations: Jeanne Mackie
(707) 422-0573 • gamma3225@comcast.net
3225 Riviera Ct. Fairfield 94534 (Black Tie Optional)
Dom and Mary Scolaro,
Ruth Corda and Jim Edman
A thank you from the Family Resource and Information Center:
“On behalf of all the families we serve in the Family Resource & Information
Center, I want to thank you so much for your very generous donation. Your gift allowed
us to re-upholster our 4 comfortable chairs. The upholstery is beautiful; the fabric is
warm and homey. The newly covered chairs definitely make the place more welcoming
and more comfortable.
Your ongoing support of theFamily Resource Center and the hospital families
is very much appreciated.” Sincerely,
Chris Johnson
(Chair re-upholstering made possible by memorials made in memory of Eola
Mathieson, long-time member of Garden Branch and mother of Marilyn Zecher)
O
Story with a Happy Ending ~
nce upon a time (last summer), the Branch Office received a letter from a long-time supporter of Children’s
Hospital who, upon a recent visit to the ER, was distressed at the condition of the waiting room:
The timing of this letter was such that a long-time member of the Branches had recently, and unexpectedly, died.
This was Marge Minney of Teak Branch who was also a
great friend of and volunteer at The Bambino Thrift Shop.
Marge’s family was interested in doing something for the
hospital, in Marge’s memory. As time passed, and memorials to Marge continued to come in, we asked our friends
at the Foundation if they could find out if it was ok if we
used this memorial money to replace or re-upholster the
chairs in the ER waiting room - and we shared with them
the letter we’d received from Mrs. Alcon. (We’d also shared
this with the great people in Housekeeping, who were very
receptive to trying to keep on top of the “stickiness” mentioned in the letter.) While other departments close for the
night, making it a bit easier to clean, the Emergency Department, of course, never closes and is rarely even quiet.
Lombardy Hosts Another Successful Tory Burch Fashion Show
Event Chair Kathy Valcke & Tili Tasker
Lombardy members modeling
the latest in Spring fashions
Beautifully transformed entrance to the
Orinda Country Club
Members Denae Reath and
Carolyn Stenovec enjoy the evening
Pam Pauletich delights in her
Tory Burch casual outfit.
Stunning in a Spring skirt, Beth Bunker
strolls down the runway.
Lombardy members, wearing their modeled Tory Burch fashions, relax after the
show, with one last group picture before
going out to mingle with their guests. A
successful evening all ‘round.
Remember: Live Oak’s Dinner-Theater Evening! This year on Thursday,
November 8. 6pm dinner at the Hotel Mac followed by an 8pm performance of Little
Women - the musical at the Masquers’ Theater. Price: $45/person ~ For reservations,
call Eva Hall at (510) 233-2870. Get your tickets early and avoid disappointment!
Monday, September 24
General Meeting and Lunch at CHORI
9:30am - coffee
10:00am - meeting and speakers
11:30am - luncheon hosted by the Foundation
Come and kick off our Fall fund-raising season by gathering together in the
beautiful CHORI library to hear what’s been going on with the Branches and
with the Hospital, and to vote on our by-law changes ~
Calendar Chairmen: Please come prepared to get your Branch’s calendars!
Invitations will go out again to Branch Chairmen, or you can just respond to
this notice by calling the Branch Office at (510) 428-3355, or emailing VCebers@mail.cho.org ~
Hope to see you there!
Children’s Hospital Branches, Inc.
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 1983
OAKLAND, CA
@ CHORI Campus
5700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way T-2
Oakland, CA 94609-1673
UP-COMING BRANCH EVENTS
September 7-8, 2012 (Fri-Sat)
CHAMPS Miniature Show & Sale
Live Oak
At-the-Races
Cacao
September 24, 2012 (Monday)
General Mtg & Lunch
All-Branch
October 13, 2012 (Saturday)
Moonlight Hideaway
Blossom Garden
5:00pm - 9:00pm - Friday
9:00am - 4:00pm - Saturday
Admission $5 / $8 2-day pass
September 15, 2012 (Saturday) $40
Gates open 11am - Turf Club and Admission &
Buffet - RSVP: Nia Blakeney (510) 547-3686
El Cerrito Community Center
Golden Gate Fields
9:30am - coffee; 10:00am - meeting/speakers
CHORI Library
11:30am - lunch hosted by the Foundation
RSVP: Branch Office (510) 428-3355;VCebers@mail.cho.org
6:00pm - 11:00 $75/person - $85 at the door
Alameda Ballroom & Hotel
RSVP to Sabrina Baltutis-svenderella@comcast.net
October 13, 2012 (Saturday)
6:00pm - 11:30pm (Dinner at 7pm) $125/person
Band - Struttin’ Jeanne Mackie (707) 422-0573
October 13, 2012 (Saturday)
Centennial CelebrationLilac
Green Valley Country Club,
Fairfield
Gala des Enfants - Moonlight and Martinis
Diablo Country Club
6:30pm - 11:30pm $ 150/person
Dinner, Auction, Dancing www.rowanbranch.org
November 8, 2012 (Thursday) $45/person Dinner and the Theater
6:00pm dinner; 8:00pm theater
Hotel Mac & Masquers’ Theater
RSVP to Eva Hall (510) 233-2870
Pt. Richmond
Rowan
Live Oak
November 14, 2012 (Wednesday)$50 Holiday Party
Garden
December 21, 2012 (Friday)
Hill
11:00am Tickets: Marilyn Zecher (510) 521-2049
9:00pm - Presentation of Debs
Followed by dinner ~ thewinterball@hotmail.com
Alameda Elks Lodge
Debutante “Winter Ball”
Westin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco