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The Mills-Peninsula Debutante Ball returns on
February 11, 2012 at the Kohl Mansion, Burlingame
The
event benefits the Oncology Center of Excellence at the
Dorothy E. Schneider Cancer Center at Mills Health Center
The
2012 Mills-Peninsula Debutante Ball (formerly known as the
Thanksgiving Cotillion and Debutante Ball) was announced
today featuring nine young debutantes from the mid-Peninsula
who will be presented at this year’s Mills-Peninsula
Debutante Ball. The event will take place on Saturday,
February 11, 2012 at the beautiful Kohl Mansion, located on
the grounds of Mercy High School in Burlingame, California.
The Debutante Ball, a bi-annual event, was last held in 2010
and raised over $200,000 for the State of the Art Medical
Technologies at the new Mills-Peninsula Medical Center which
opened in May 2011.
“The
Debutante Ball has made a wonderful impact on our ability to
provide excellent healthcare for our community. This year’s
event will support the purchase of a PET/CT Scanner for our
Oncology Center of Excellence. By ensuring the latest
technologies for surgery and radiation therapy, we hope to
make a marked improvement on cancer survivorship in San
Mateo County,” said John Loder, Foundation president.
The idea for the Debutante ball began four
years ago with a group of dynamic philanthropic women
discussing their various associations with the hospital and
how they could help build a younger community of donors and
develop a program that helps support the self-esteem of
young women on the Peninsula. “Young
women are under so much pressure to be on the honor roll, to
be star athletes, and to get perfect SAT scores,” noted Mrs.
Melanie Ryan, Chairperson of the event. “The Thanksgiving
Cotillion is a great way to celebrate everything these young
ladies have achieved. It is also a wonderful way for them to
give back to their community by supporting their local
hospital.” This year’s honorary chairs are local
philanthropists,
Mrs.
Peggy Bort Jones and Sheila O’Connor Burns.
“A
cotillion is a creative way to make a difference,” added
Committee Member Sheila McWilliams. “We celebrate the
achievements of outstanding young ladies in the community
and build a bridge to the Hospital Foundation.”
“I wanted to be a
part of this year’s Ball because it’s a great way to give
back to my community while supporting our local hospital,”
noted Debutante Maile Kennedy Pringle. “I’m helping to
raise money for our local hospital, the place my two sisters
were born, and the place we go to in case of an emergency.
My great-grandfather was a doctor and I know that he is
smiling down at me now,” added Debutante Kristina Marie
Cullinane.
Many
of the debutantes went to school together and for some, they
are the first in their family to take part in a cotillion.
The concept of giving is not new to these young ladies– some
have a long history of volunteering and a family tradition
of philanthropy. Most girls have been involved with
numerous charities including the National Charity League,
Inc., Peninsula Family Service, Shelter Network, Second
Harvest and of course, Mills-Peninsula hospital, among other
charities.
All
nine girls also have a connection to Mills-Peninsula, some
being born there or having parents or grandparents who have
been treated at the hospital. Nicole Schulz, Vivien Wu,
Katherine (Kate) Atkeson, Molly Kate Barry, Catherine
Drysdale, Maile Kennedy Pringle, Kristina Cullinane, Lauren
Corey and Laura Westbrook are the nine outstanding young
ladies being presented this year.
Mills-Peninsula Health Services, a
not-for-profit corporation with approximately 2,500
employees, operates two community health facilities with a
total of 403 inpatient beds. The Peninsula Medical Center in
Burlingame is an acute-care facility. Mills Health Center in
San Mateo provides a wide range of outpatient services,
including surgery, rehabilitation and diagnostics. It also
is home to Mills-Peninsula's Women’s Center. Mills-Peninsula
Health Services is an affiliate of Sutter Health, one of the
largest not-for-profit health organizations in Northern
California. Mills Health Center, founded by prominent
Californian Elizabeth Mills Reid, opened in 1908 in San
Mateo with six beds. Peninsula Medical Center, developed
through creation of a public hospital district, opened its
doors four miles north in Burlingame in 1954.
Tickets to the Mills-Peninsula Debutante Ball are $350.00
per adult and $150 for young adults (guests under 21). For
invitation information, please contact the Foundation Office
at 650-696-5990 or log on to
www.thanksgivingcotillion.org
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