Saturday, February 9, the Charity Ball hosted its 110th ball, titled Glitter in the Air, in support of the Copley Psychiatric Emergency Department and affiliated programs at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego.
The black tie ball began with a festive reception within the Crown Room at the Hotel Del Coronado, followed by a sit-down dinner with music performed by The Xceptional Music Company and a 12-piece orchestra.
The Charity Ball presented the Thomas. F. Carter Leadership award, which recognizes extraordinary volunteer leaders and philanthropists that are dedicated to the patients and families at Rady Children's. Close to 500 attendees celebrated the evening, including the new President & CEO of Rady Children’s, Patrick Frias, M.D.
The Copley Psychiatric Emergency Department, one of the first departments of its kind in the nation, is positioned to provide patients with an immediate psychiatric diagnosis and will triage patients toward affiliated mental and behavioral health services and therapists. The seamless integration of clinical care with pioneering community services will bring together often disjointed services into one front door for direct patient care. With this dedicated entry point, in an area of the Hospital separate from the main emergency department, families are uniquely supported and guided toward the best solutions, while experts have every resource available to treat the whole child—body and mind. “Physical and mental health and development are fundamentally intertwined which is why treating the whole child is critically important,” said Benjamin Maxwell, MD, Medical Director of Inpatient Psychiatry at Rady Children’s. “We are creating a pathway that makes it easy and effective for every pediatrician and specialist to connect children to the behavioral health services they need.”
Since 1909, the Charity Ball has been an integral part of the philanthropic and social fabric of San Diego. Beginning in 1953, the year before the Hospital first opened its doors, the Charity Ball has exclusively benefited programs and services at Rady Children's.
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego is a 524-bed pediatric care facility providing the largest source of comprehensive pediatric medical services in San Diego, southern Riverside and Imperial counties. Rady Children’s is the only hospital in the San Diego area dedicated exclusively to pediatric healthcare and is the region’s only designated pediatric trauma center. In June 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked Rady Children’s among the best children’s hospitals in the nation in all ten pediatric specialties the magazine surveyed. Rady Children’s is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations to support its mission.
Photography by Tricia Fonseca
