Crystal Ball Honorees Patty and Mike Nijjar, center, with event Co-Chairs Aner and Rebecca Iglesias, left, and Co-Chairs Sherry and Shone Wang.

The Methodist Hospital Foundation will “Celebrate Good Times” with the award-winning, world-renowned R&B musical group Kool and the Gang at the 30th Annual Crystal Ball celebration to be held at the Pasadena Convention Center on Saturday, October 12 at 5:30 p.m.

Crystal Ball Honorees Patty and Mike Nijjar have set the fund-raising bar high for the San Gabriel Valley’s premier annual black-tie celebration.

“Our goal this year is to raise $1 million at Crystal Ball,” says Patty, who along with husband Mike, is unrelenting in her philanthropic quest to help others. Funds raised will support the addition of a second biplane imaging system to enhance Methodist Hospital’s ability to serve the Greater San Gabriel Valley as a fully accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center and Heart Attack Receiving Center. Methodist Hospital is one of only 18 hospitals to be part of the Los Angeles County network of approved stroke centers countywide.

“Crystal Ball brings people together in a unique way to celebrate the community that is the beating heart of Methodist Hospital,” says Patty. “The event is a joyful occasion and reminds everyone

of the significant work that the hospital does, while raising funds for the community it supports.”

The Nijjars will be honored for all of their amazing volunteer and philanthropic efforts in support of Methodist Hospital over the years.

“I always said to myself that if I became successful in business, I wanted to do everything I could to help others, which is why we support Methodist Hospital,” said Patty, who is a Board of Trustees member with the Methodist Hospital Foundation.

“We are so proud to honor Patty and Mike Nijjar for this very special 30th anniversary Crystal Ball,” says Michael Driebe, President of the Methodist Hospital Foundation. “Patty and Mike are tremendous supporters and advocates on behalf of the hospital. Patty is extremely passionate with her support for our Foundation and she and Mike have brought an incredible amount of philanthropy to the hospital through their numerous relationships throughout the region.”

After humble beginnings on the campus of the hospital, Crystal Ball has now evolved into an annual fundraising gala that has become the top social event of the year in the San Gabriel Valley. Throughout its history, Crystal Ball has generated more than $9 million to support such programs as the Rehabilitation Unit, Cardiac, Stroke, Emergency Services, and the Next Generation of Care Campus Transformation at Methodist Hospital.

Crystal Ball revelers will be putting on their dancing shoes for a fantastic show this year featuring Kool & the Gang. The R&B group formed 50 years ago and has influenced the music of generations and become a recording industry legend in the process. Thanks to iconic songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame, Kool & the Gang has earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Kool and the Gang has performed continuously longer than any R&B group in history, and their bulletproof funk and jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled R&B band of all time.

In addition to elite entertainment, our black-tie Crystal Ball gala features a silent auction offering a wide selection of wares, wines, and nights on the town, plus a robust live auction from luxury sports experiences to exotic vacations, all to raise funds for the stroke and heart programs at Methodist Hospital.

“With funds raised at Crystal Ball this year for the purchase of a second biplane imaging system, we will expand our ability to provide minimally-invasive procedures that produce optimal outcomes for our most critically ill patients,” says Hospital President and CEO Dan Ausman.

“Our ability to provide state-of-the-art technology has earned Methodist major recognition from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association as a center of excellence for both cardiac care and stroke care,” Ausman says. “We extend sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our donors for enabling the acquisition of needed equipment, and to our doctors, nurses and staff for their dedication and care for these patients.”

Leading this year’s planning for Crystal Ball will be event Co-Chairs Sherry and Shone Wang, along with Aner and Rebecca Iglesias.

For additional information, contact Methodist Hospital Foundation at 626-898-8888 or contact us by
email: crystalball@ methodisthospital.org. Or to learn more, click here: https://www.methodisthospital.org/Foundation/Special-Events/Crystal-Ball.aspx

Crystal Ball Honorees Patty and Mike Nijjar