Community’s health care advocates honored at fundraiser

Three people who have worked tirelessly to make an impact on health care in our community were honored during the fourth annual Volunteers in Medicine Southern Nevada benefit Oct. 6 at The Venetian's Palazzo Ballroom.

Party chairs Drs. Parvin Modaber Jacobs and Florence Jameson, founder, president and CEO of Volunteers in Medicine, presented the group's Volunteer Leader award to Mary Adler. Aurora Wong was honored with the Community Service Award. She is the lead coordinator for HepBFree Las Vegas.

Dr. Jerry Cade received the Lifetime Achievement in Medicine Award. Cade is the director of treatment specialty service at University Medical Center, co-founder and co-director of Nevada AIDS Research and Education Society and Nevada Access to Research and Education Society.

Volunteers in Medicine provides free and charitable health care to the uninsured and unemployed residents of Southern Nevada. The sold-out event raised money to support the volunteer-staffed medical clinic. During the evening's "Raise Your Paddle," Sheldon Adelson committed $100,000 to Volunteers in Medicine.

A 90-minute reception offered libations and a silent auction for guests including Miriam Adelson, Susan and Irwin Molasky, Jody Ghanem, Toni and Victor Chaltiel, Loring Jacobs, Leslie and Bill Shoemaker, Joseph Quagliana, Jay Barrett and Laura Hoenemeyer, Claudia and Greg Peterman, Lynette Chappelle, Gard Jameson, Annee Nounna, Jane and Thomas Schwenk, Amy Wojciechowski, Christine Petersen, Fred Nassiri, Sandy Peltyn, John O'Reilly, Susan Houston, Staci and Randy Garcia, Irais and Robert Kolesar, Jane and Dan Russell.

The evening's master of ceremonies was Wayne Newton. Special performances included dances of the Middle East by Angela Palmeri-Davis. Pia Zadora sang Frank Sinatra hits and Elvis impersonator James Lowrey also entertained.

Kevin O'Callaghan conducted a live auction for 11 packages. The highest winning bid of $10,000 was for a "fly-along" in a Metropolitan Police Department helicopter.

Other guests included Mary Kaye Cashman, Susie and Brian Cram, Judi Steele, Maria and Ted Quirk, Marcia Turner, Amy Park and Steven Kwon, Persia Golden, Chris Chapel, Sandra Frank, Denise LaForest, Dennis Coffin, Eleonore and Edward Doumani, Barbara Robinson and Andreas Costas, Michael Jeffery and Curt Carlson.

Also seen among the crowd of 400 were Sheriff Doug Gillespie, County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, former Gov. Robert List, James Christensen, Buck Wong, Jordan Kaufer, Jessie Scott, Georgeann Pizzi, Flo Rogers, Debra and Robert Holgate, Mark Penn and Harry Rosenberg.