Childrens Hospital hosts successful spring gala

The Centennial Guild, a local support group of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), hosted its annual fundraiser at the Air Force One Pavilion of the Ronald Reagan Library on March 11. The theme of this year's Spring Gala was "When You Wish Upon a Star."

Chris Harrison of ABC's "The Bachelor" and HGTV's "Designers' Challenge" hosted the evening, which included docentguided tours of Air Force One, dinner, entertainment and both silent and live auctions.

More than 550 people attended the event, including guild members, community supporters, distinguished CHLA leaders and doctors, and honorary guests Mariel Hemingway and Brett Saberhagen.

Speeches were given by two children of guild members, teenagers who are CHLA patients and survivors.

The Centennial Guild is made up of more than 70 volunteers from Malibu, Calabasas and the Conejo Valley. The purpose of the group is to perform charitable fundraising activities to benefit the patients of CHLA. Although the hospital is in Los Angeles, last year alone CHLA treated more than 3,000 children from the Conejo Valley and thousands more from surrounding areas.

To learn more about how the Centennial Guild is making a difference in the lives of young patients at CHLA, call the guild at (805) 496-4402.